UCMed molecular lab to help boost number of COVID tests a day

Exec: Having more COVID testing capability can help sustain Cebu's economic recovery

UCMed’s COVID-19 team during the blessing and inauguration of the hospital’s molecular laboratory for COVID-19 testng. (Photo courtesy of UCMed)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The operationality of more testing laboratories for COVID-19 in Central Visayas is considered to contribute to sustaining the government’s move for the region’s economic recovery.

On Thursday, July 30, 2020, the University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed) has formally inaugurated its molecular laboratory for COVID-19 testing— the first private hospital in the city to offer the service.

In total, there are now six accredited COVID-19 molecular laboratories in Cebu, contributing to its target testing capacity of 3,500 tests per day. In the past two weeks, the actual tests conducted by the six laboratories have reached as high as almost 2,100 tests in a day.

READ: Cebu now has six accredited COVID-19 molecular labs
READ: UCMed is now a (Department of Health) DOH-accredited PCR Testing facility for COVID-19

UCMed has been granted accreditation by the Department of Health (DOH) for the operation of the molecular laboratory last July 17.

The blessing and inauguration of the facility located in Mandaue City was attended by UCMed president Candice Gotianuy, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.

Cortes, during his speech, thanked the different sectors in the community, including the medical sector, for its participation in the government’s COVID-19 response.

“The active participation of the different sectors of the community is the key to success. Nakita nato nga dili sayon ang pagsulbad sa COVID-19. Our strength comes from the people, acting as one with the government and working towards a common goal in addressing COVID-19,” Cortes said.

(The active participation of the different sectors of the community is the key to success. We have seen that it is not easy to solve COVID-19. Our strength comes from the people, acting as one with the government and working towards a common goal in addressing COVID-19.)

In the past three months, UCMed’s medical staff has facilitated over 5,000 swab tests and more than 10,500 rapid antibody tests

Since July 26, the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) has carried the COVID-19 test results from the UCMed molecular laboratory in its daily situation report.

UCMed is the only private hospital in the country employing an RNA extractor, which is one of the most sensitive laboratory techniques that enables the hospital to minimize contamination and human error and expedites the processing time of the tests.

Gotianuy said the putting up of the laboratory was a product of “blood, sweat, and tears” of the hospital’s medical team and management given the tedious process in applying for the accreditation from the DOH.

Dino, for his part, extended gratitude to UCMed’s Gotianuy and Chairman Lawyer Augusto Go for putting up the laboratory.

“Contrary to common beliefs that putting up a hospital would be a good business at this time, hospitals are not actually earning now, people who are supposed to have their routine tests are no longer showing up because of COVID-19,” Dino said.

Dino said the presence of more laboratories for COVID-19 testing would help in sustaining the reopening of the economy as it would expand the testing capacity of the healthcare system./dbs