More rapid tests for coronavirus seen with additional testing facilities

An increase in the daily testing capacity is seen in the coming days following the accreditation of a private testing facility for Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) in the city.

The Davao City One World Diagnostic Center, Inc. is the latest private testing facility accredited for Covid-19. The other is the state-run Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) which currently has a testing capacity of 250 to 300 individuals.

Johann Go, Sales Representative of Davao One World Diagnostic Center, Inc. said that for now, the center can accommodate 200 tests per day as they are still waiting for more real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machine to be delivered.

(CORRECTION: Previously, Go said that Davao One World Diagnostic Center, Inc can accommodate 1,000-1,200 tests per day but corrected himself saying they are still waiting for more RT-PCR machines to be delivered.)

“When the machines are here, we can accommodate between 1,000 and 1,200 tests per day,” he said.

On Monday’s broadcast of the Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR), Mayor Inday Sara Duterte said the private facility has passed the five-stage accreditation by the Department of Health (DOH) and is now operational.

“Duha na kabuok ang atoang Stage 5 meaning– pwede na ni sila mag operate. Ang isa is ang SPMC, mao ni ang sa sinugdanan pa lang, and dunay nadungag ang Davao One World Diagnostic Center Inc. (We already have two that are in Stage 5 which means that they can start their operation. One is SPMC, the one that we have from the beginning and the newest addition, Davao One World Diagnostic Center, Inc),” she said.

Mayor Sara said that two other facilities – the Davao Doctors Hospital and DOH Tuberculosis Center are currently in the third stage of accreditation.

Meanwhile, the city-owned Los Amigos Health Center is waiting for the approval of the permit to construct its testing facility. It is eyed to be operational July this year.

In addition to more testing capacity, Davao City has also 11 isolation facilities. Of the number nine are for Covid-19 patients and two are for the health workers to be quarantined.

Overall, the city has a bed capacity of 448 beds for Covid patients, of which 348 are currently occupied.

As of June 1, Davao City has a total of 148 active positive cases of Covid-19 while 129 have recovered and 29 deaths. CIO