SPMC can test 5,000 samples, additional reagents coming

DAVAO CITY, April 2 (PIA) - The COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease-19) subnational testing center inside the Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC) can test up to 5,000 samples with its current inventory of reagents according to Department of Health-XI Assistant Regional Director Dr. Lenny Joy Rivera.

Rivera said they can test around 50 samples a day as they are using the RT- PCR machines. She said they are getting samples from different parts of Mindanao as the SPMC is the only subnational COVID-19 testing laboratory in Mindanao.

The DOH-XI is expecting additional testing kits that will be arriving in the region, this will beef up the current capability. She said that every hour they are processing new samples for testing.

“Every day, every hour, may pumapasok po (arriving), as of yesterday may pino-process pa sila because it takes time to run it sa PCR machine. Every minute there are samples which are run in SPMC,” Rivera said.

Meanwhile SPMC Chief of Hospital Dr. Leopoldo Vega said they hope to fix the real time PCR (RT-PCR) machine donated by Anflocor Foundation so they can do parallel tests. Dr. Vega said during the COVID-19 virtual presser that the machine was not able to read a wavelength of the sample and is in the process of being fixed so the machine can add to the testing capability of the SPMC laboratory. (PIA/RG Alama)

News Feed:

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1037938
Latest News | Philippine Information Agency