Additional Molecular Laboratories Underway in Baguio City

During the special COVID-19 meeting in Baguio City with national Anti-COVID action plan chief implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. yesterday, May 21, 2020, he said that the city needs at least 3 Molecular Laboratories.

This is in addition to Baguio City General Hospital Medical Center (BGHMC), which is an accredited sub-national testing laboratory for COVID-19 in Northern Luzon.

Additional Three Molecular Laboratories in Baguio City

In the Ugnayan at the City Hall yesterday, Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that the decision of Secretary Galvez regarding the molecular laboratories in the city is based on the LGU’s proposal.

“Actually, that decision of Secretary Galvez was based on our proposal, tayo rin naman ang nag-propose dun.”

(Actually, that decision of Secretary Galvez was based on our proposal. We were the ones who proposed the idea.)

Mayor Magalong mentioned that in the proposal, the city raised the need for at least three molecular labs, in which preferably, one is a private lab.

Furthermore, the mayor informed Sec. Galvez that he is talking with doctors who are planning to put up a private molecular laboratory in the city.

Hoping that it will be operational by June, the mayor said that their permits and the renovation of the building are underway.

Molecular Labs to Aid Baguio City in Detecting and Containing COVID-19

As one of the molecular laboratories will be put up at the City Health Office (CHO), Mayor Magalong said that the city government is willing to spend up to Php15 Million for the construction of the said lab and to make it operational within the next 2 to 3 months.

Once operational, the lab will help speed up the determination of the extent of infection not only in Baguio City but also in the rest of the Cordillera. Not only will it improve contact tracing to contain the COVID-19 but it will initiate a timely medical intervention for infected patients.

On the other hand, to support the city’s plan,  the national government through Sec. Galvez will provide lab equipment worth P7.1 Million, which includes 2 Reverse Transmission Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machine, 1 automated extraction machine, and a bio-security cabinet.

Double the City’s Testing Capacity

Earlier, the city mayor said that BGHMC is doing manual extraction of RNA, making the testing process slow. But with the automated extraction machine, the testing capacity will be doubled.

Right now, the city can conduct a maximum of  700 tests per day which is expected to double with the help of the said machine.

“Kung meron tayong automated extraction machine siguro magiging doble yung testing capacity unlike today na 700 per day ang maximum na kaya natin with that baka aakyat tayo ng 1400.”

– Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong

SOURCE: PIO -Baguio

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