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Zambo City to have own Covid-19 testing lab

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.

April 21, 2020, 9:08 pm

<p>The Zamboanga City Hall. <em>(PNA file photo)</em></p>

The Zamboanga City Hall. (PNA file photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- This city will soon have its own testing laboratory for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), officials said Tuesday.

Dr. Joshua Brillantes, Department of Health assistant regional director, said that the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) and Department of Agriculture (DA) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) Tuesday to operate the testing laboratory.

Brillantes said the MOA is one of the requirements since the DA owns the laboratory facility while the ZCMC personnel will be the ones who will handle the testing center.

The laboratories of DA and ZCMC were earlier assessed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), DOH central office and World Health Organization (WHO) to serve as Covid-19 testing facility, but only the DA’s Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has qualified.

“We are happy to collaborate with ZCMC. The DA is willing to share its resources in this time of crisis,” said Melba Wee, DA regional technical director for research policy, planning and regulatory, and integrate laboratories.

Brillantes said they are making some arrangements in preparation to start the operation of the testing center for Covid-19, starting with the transfer of the bio-safety cabinet of the ZCMC to the DA facility.

He said the WHO will train the personnel to be assigned to the testing facility, which is seen to hasten the tests of specimens taken from patients and suspected cases of Covid-19.

Wee said the testing center is expected to start operating next week.

Currently, the specimens are being taken to the RITM or to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City. (PNA)

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