STEPPED UP FIGHT VS. COVID-19. Dr. Sheryl Racelis (left), a physician at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City; and Dr. Ma. Lourdes Otayza, the facility's medical chief, bare their plan to step up the fight against Covid-19 by acquiring the hospital's own Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing machine. They spoke during a press conference in the city on Thursday (April 30, 2020). (Photo by Leilanie G. Adriano)
LAOAG CITY – The Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC), in collaboration with the provincial government of Ilocos Norte, is all set to have its own Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine to improve its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) testing capacity.
Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc said Friday they have allocated some funds for the purchase of the PCR machine, as the province is currently on extended enhanced community quarantine pending a response from the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on its request to allow a two-week modified general community quarantine (GCQ) from May 1-15.
The Provincial Health Task Force in Ilocos Norte led by the governor acknowledged that the PCR testing is critical in managing and determining whether the province is ready to adopt the guidelines under the GCQ.
The swab tests of Covid-19 suspects in the province have to be brought to the nearest testing center in Baguio City.
But once a PCR machine is in place in the province, Manotoc said this will boost Ilocos Norte’s readiness to manage and contain the spread of the virus.
Dr. Sheryl Racelis, a physician at the MMMH&MC, who is in charge of the hospital’s specialized laboratory for emerging infectious diseases, said the hospital has already trained medical personnel and readied infrastructure in preparation for the installation of the PCR machine.
All facilities, however need to be jointly certified by the Department of Health and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. (PNA)
