One more hospital in Visayas accredited to do COVID-19 testing

MANILA, Philippines — There are now two hospitals in the Visayas that are accredited to conduct testing for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced on Thursday that the West Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City has been given certification to conduct independent COVID-19 testing.

The other hospital allowed to do testing is the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.

“Nabigyan na ng certification ang West Visayas Medical Center kahapon para sa independent testing. Kasama na ang Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, dalawa na ang independent testing laboratories natin sa Visayas,” Duque said in a virtual press briefing.

(The West Visayas Medical Center was given certification yesterday to do independent testing. Along with the Vicente Sotto Memorial Center, there are now two testing laboratories in the Visayas.)

More laboratories across the country are expected to be accredited to conduct testing in the coming days, Duque assured the public.

These include:

-Bicol Public Health Laboratory

-Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Science

-Victoriano Luna General Hospital

-St. Luke’s Medical City in Quezon City and Taguig City.

At present, six laboratories across the country are conducting COVID-19 testing, namely, San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City and the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, Lung Center of the Philippines, and  Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City.

Meanwhile, the Quezon Institute in Quezon City will start accepting COVID-19 patients next week as it will serve as a temporary quarantine facility.