Duque: Marikina City’s COVID-19 testing center can start by Tuesday

Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro shows Health Secretary Duque the calibrated machines and equipment of the city’s COVID-19 testing facility as he visited the facility on Friday, April 17, 2020. Image: Courtesy of the Marikina City LGU

MANILA, Philippines — Marikina City’s testing center for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can start its operations by Tuesday, April 21.

Secretary Francisco Duque III said Friday the Department of Health would grant accreditation to the city’s testing facility, which he described as “one of the best laboratories.”

“Monday ‘yung kanyang proficiency testing ay matatapos na. So, malamang ito mga Tuesday okay na, pwede nang patakbuhin… Yes, bibigyan na ng accreditation certificate,” Duque said as he paid a visit to the testing center.

(Its proficiency testing will end by Monday. So most likely by Tuesday, it can now operate… Yes, it will be given an accreditation certificate.)

The testing center is located in a two-story building on Bayan-Bayanan Avenue in Barangay Concepcion Uno. It can test 400 to 500 patients per day, according to the local government,

“Okay naman, maganda. It is one of the best laboratories I’ve seen. Mukhang magandang-maganda ang pagkakagawa, maayos ang layout talagang sinunod ang mga equipment, ang furnishing, tastefully executed,” the Health Secretary said.

(This is okay, it looks nice. It is one of the best laboratories I’ve seen. The construction seems well done, the layout was well-put and the equipment was followed carefully, the furnishing to looks tastefully executed.)

Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, meanwhile, said that medical technologists and laboratory technicians are now finishing with a series of required training.

“Sa kasaluluyan, tinatapos na natin iyong huling dalawang training na kinakailangan based on protocol sa pagbubukas ng  molecular diagnostic laboratory. Ito ‘yung biosafety and security training, and proficiency training,” he said.

(As of the moment, we are finishing the last two pieces of training needed based on the protocol on the opening of the molecular diagnostic laboratory. This is the biosafety and security training and proficiency training.)

“Iyong biosafety and security training ay dalawang levels ito–isang online na training, at isang actual parang practicum. Inaasahan natin na matatapos ang training na ito hanggang Sabado,” the mayor added.

(This biosafety and security training has two-levels—one online training, and an actual practicum. We’re expecting the training will finish on Saturday.)

Teodoro added that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) also intervened with training, saying they were scheduled at an earlier date.

The trainings were supposed to be scheduled next week by the DOH, Teodoro said.

Previously, Teodoro said that it was going to run its testing center even without the go-signal from the DOH.

Before it was inspected by the DOH, the testing center already got support from the IATF, with Teodoro especially thanking Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.