DOH: Marikina City’s COVID-19 testing center to be accredited next week

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) will accredit Marikina City’s testing center for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Wednesday next week, April 22.

ALL SET FOR THE OPENING Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro tours media around the city’s COVID-19 testing facility whose opening has been delayed by the lack of the health department’s seal of approval. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III made the announcement on Friday, and said he received the information from Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire.

“Ang nakuhanan ko ng impormasyon patungkol sa Marikina laboratory ay si Usec. Vergeire bilang pinuno ng Health Regulations Office, at ang sabi nya sa akin sa Wednesday na darating ay ma-a-accredit na sila (Marikina testing center),” he said in an interview on dzMM.

Duque said he wants an investigation on the true status of the testing center, saying he received contradicting information about its readiness to test patients for coronavirus.

“May sinasabi daw na may training pa, kasangkapan, mga makina, eh nung pinuntahan daw nila (DOH team) [‘yung testing center], ‘yung makina hindi pa naka-install,” he explained.

(They said there has to be training [of staff], materials, and equipment, but when the DOH team visited the testing center, the machine was not yet installed.)

“Minsan iba-iba ang mga impormasyon kaya gusto kong paimbestigahan talaga para makuha ko ang totoong impormasyon tungkol dito,” Duque said.

(We get varying information, that’s why I want an investigation to know the real, true details about this.)

Duque reiterated that the DOH is being strict in granting accreditation to the facility to assure the safety of the public.

He explained that improper handling of the virus may lead to an outbreak in the laboratory, and later to community epidemic.

Marikina City earlier planned to set up a testing center either on the sixth floor of the Marikina City Health Office or inside the state-run Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, but health authorities thumbed down these locations since it did not pass space and biosafety standards.

The city government later identified a two-story building along Bayan-Bayanan Avenue in Barangay Concepcion Uno as the new site for local COVID-19 testing.

The structure has a floor area of 160 square meters and is located in a not-so populated area of the city. The facility will be used exclusively by the testing center.

Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro previously said that the city government will open the facility even without the DOH’s green light.

GSG