STOCK PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO – 7) is now hiring medical technologists and physicians to run their own molecular laboratory that will soon carry out coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tests for law enforcers.
“We will be recruiting pathologists and medtechs (medical technologists) to man our RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) testing laboratory here in Cebu,” said Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, PRO – 7 director.
Ferro said they recently received instructions from Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lieutenant General Archie Gamboa to expedite the completion of PRO- 7’s own molecular laboratory.
Read: PRO-7 to have own RT-PCR lab
“He told us to fast-track the construction of the molecular lab of PRO – 7 to help the testing capacity here in Cebu by providing tests for all our law enforcers here – PNP, AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) to name some,” he said.
Ferro also said they are targeting to complete the construction of the facility, which is found inside the compound of Camp Sotero Cabahug in Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City, within a month.
“We are targeting for the construction of the lab, including the swabbing area, to be finished within one month,” he said.
He added that PNP allocated approximately P10 million for the establishment of the laboratory. The budget included, Ferro said, the equipment and testing kits needed as well as wages for the doctors and medtechs running it.
“Once the physical construction, we will be moving forward to have it accredited by DOH (Department of Health) so we can be authorized in doing COVID-19 tests,” said Ferro in a mix of Cebuano and English.
On the other hand, Ferro said they are still determining the actual capacity of their laboratory.
Cebu presently has four molecular laboratories accredited to carry out COVID-19 tests, including the one found in Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
If PRO-7’s own facility will be operational, this will bring the total number of COVID-19 testing laboratories in Cebu to five.
At least four other privately owned hospitals are also processing accreditation of their respective molecular laboratories for COVID-19 testing. /bmjo