TESTING capacities for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Davao Region was boosted after two testing laboratories were recently accredited to perform independent testing for Covid-19.
The Department of Health (DOH) recently announced that these new testing laboratories are the Davao One World Diagnostic Center Inc. in Davao City and Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Tagum City, Davao del Norte which will help in the identification and treatment of patients infected by the dreaded disease.
In a post of DRMC on their official Facebook page, the validity of their license as hospital-based laboratory performing Rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is from May 26 to August 26, 2020.
As accredited Covid-19 testing by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), DRMC shall continue to participate in the Quality Assurance Program of the RITM, follow the Operational Guidelines for Covid-19 Testing Laboratories Performing Rapid PCR Testing for Sars-CoV-2, and abide by the highest laboratory quality standards.
“DRMC will serve as testing center that will speed up the testing of samples of suspected individuals who may be infected with Covid-19 in Davao Region, aside from Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC),” DRMC said in a statement.
On March 27, SPMC has been certified to conduct and release results on their level which has been capable of releasing results suspected patients within 24 hours. Samples from the region and other parts of Mindanao are sent here for Covid-19 testing.
DRMC added, “This will also relieve the difficulty in sending swabs and samples for Covid-19 testing in Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila and SPMC in Davao City, and ensure releasing of results on an earlier time.”
DRMC is using Rapid PCR Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 testing following the World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
In an earlier virtual presser, DOH-Davao assistant regional director Lenny Joy Rivera said that what caused the delay of the accreditation was the standard operating procedure (SOP) that needs to be submitted by the two applicants.
Rivera further said that cartridges needed for the GeneXpert machine to function are yet to arrive in the region.
“We’re just waiting for the cartridge para ma operationalize na ang GeneXpert facility so makaka-add ‘yon sa mga ite-test natin (it can provide additional support in our testing efforts),” Rivera said.
According to WHO, the availability of testing facilities is among the criteria a local government unit should consider before lifting restrictions.
While testing is free in state-run hospitals for suspected and probable patients, however, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio earlier said there will be payment for private hospitals offering Covid-19 testing unless those patients are referred by the City Health Office (CHO). If the patient is referred by the CHO, the testing will be covered by the government.
As of 7 p.m. on May 30, cases of Covid-19 in Davao Region climbed to 345 after DOH-Davao registered 16 new cases of Covid-19 in the region wherein 15 come from Davao City and one from Davao Del Sur.
DOH-Davao also reports two new deaths, one from Davao del Norte and another one from Davao City bringing the total number of deaths to 30.