A NEW, high-tech COVID laboratory on top of the already existing one is being built, again at the Sta. Ana Hospital, with the end in view of enabling the Manila city government to test at least a thousand residents daily and at gold standard level.
This was announced by Mayor Isko Moreno, who said that he, along with Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna and Secretary to the Mayor Bernie Ang, received over the weekend two donated machines for the purpose, during a simple turnover ceremony at the Manila City Hall.
The donated machines, according to Ang, are called, ‘’Daan Natch CS Extraction Machines.’ Each is a fully-automated nucleic acid extraction system that can effectively help realize the goal of Moreno to test more residents on a daily basis using the most accurate confirmatory method via swabbing.
As he profusely thanked the national government for the donations, Moreno also expressed gratitude to the Ayala Foundation and its group of companies for offering to shoulder the costs for the building of the new laboratory estimated at P7.8 million.
He explained that the laboratory is costly, since aside from the needed equipment that have to be installed inside, even the ventilation has to be regulated in such a way as to ensure that the medical frontliners running it will be protected from infection.
In return, Moreno assured the national government and the Ayala Group that he will utilize the new facilities and machines to provide at a maximum level, free confirmatory testing services for the benefit of the people of Manila.
Moreno said that with the two new machines, the city government will now be able to test up to a thousand people a day. Currently, about 200 to 250 people are being tested free of charge daily, using the already existing laboratory.
The mayor said he would want to give all COVID patients a chance at full recovery by strengthening the city’s medical institutions and capabilities covering all aspects, from testing all the way to treatment.
