The Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Iloilo City has began conducting tests for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
WVMC is among the new health facilities in the country accredited by the Department of Health (DOH) as COVID-19 testing centers.
Dr. Mary Jane Juanico of the DOH-6 said the WVMC officially started on Tuesday, March 24, testing specimens taken from patients suspected to have the deadly disease.
Prior to the accreditation, the DOH-6 had been sending specimens of patients under investigation (PUIs) for COVID-19 in the region to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila for testing.
Juanico said they would no longer wait for several days for the results. “Mga after 48 to 72 hours may ara na kita dayun results. Madasig lang.”
Based on data from the DOH-6, five patients already died in the region while waiting for their results.
The WVMC laboratory currently has two medical technologists from the RITM. It is capable of hanlding 30 to 35 specimens daily.
Juanico said the WVMC in Mandurriao district is so far the only health facility in the region that can test specimens.
Yesterday, March 25, five thousand COVID-19 test kits from the DOH Central Office arrived in Iloilo City.IMT
