(Eagle News) – The Marikina Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory is now licensed to conduct COVID-19 tests after passing the stringent stage 4 proficiency testing, according to the Department of Health.
Because of this, the DOH said on Friday, May 1, that Marikina can now start COVID-19 tests in its laboratory.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the Marikina molecular diagnostic laboratory passed on Thursday, April 30, the stage 4 proficiency testing.
“Ngayon ay lisensyado na po at maaari nang magsimula ng mga test sa kanilang laboratory,” Vergeire said.
Vergeire also noted that the Philippine National Red Cross has also started “full scale operations” of COVID-19 tests at its national headquarters in Mandaluyong City.
She said that they are also awaiting the completion hopefully by May 10 of the pandemic sub-national reference laboratory (PSRL) of the Jose B. Lingap Memorial General Hospital in San Fernando Pampanga.
“The PSRL will have a daily output of 3,000 tests,” the DOH said.
With the addition of the Marikina Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory as certified COVID-19 testing center, the country now had 19 certified laboratories to do COVID tests further expanding the nationwide testing capacity.
The other certified COVID-19 laboratories are the following:
1. Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City
2. Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Baguio
3. San Lazaro Hospital in Manila
4. Vicente Sotto Medical Memorial Center in Cebu City
5. Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City
6. University of the Philippines National Institute of Health in Manila City
7. Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City
8. Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City
9. Bicol Public Health Laboratory in Legazpi City
10. St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City
11. Victoriano Luna Hospital in Quezon City
12. The Medical City in Pasig
13. Makati Medical Center in Makati City
14. Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory in Mandaluyong
15. St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig
16. Philippine Red Cross in Mandaluyong
17. Chinese General Hospital in Manila City
18. Philippine Genome Center
The DOH said that it hopes to expand to 30,000 tests daily the country’s COVID-19 testing capacity by the end of May.
