The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory at the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) conducts a soft opening today, Monday, August 3, 2020.
This was disclosed by GCGMH hospital chief Dr. Mutya Kismet Macuno in a radio interview over Open Forum, today, too, Monday, August 3, 2020.
Macuno said the soft opening is a prelude to the full operation on August 7, 2020. The medical center chief added that she opted to have a soft opening today, Monday, and start testing some swab samples as there have been community transmission cases recorded in Talibon and in Bien Unido over the weekend and samples may be tested following the contact tracing activities.
Gov. Arthur Yap graced the soft opening of the PCR laboratory, according to reports.
Moreover, the hospital chief said that the laboratory has been certified by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) after perfectly passing the proficiency test conducted last Friday, July 31, 2020.
Currently, there are five (5) medical personnel that will man the laboratory, as four (4) other personnel of the hospital are being trained and soon will join the staff tasked to operate the PCR laboratory, according to reports.
Moreover, initially the lab is able to process at most, 70 samples a day using one (1) PCR machine, the medical center chief said during the radio interview.
In the event of full operation of three (3) PCR machines, the laboratory is able to process at most, 210 samples a day, Macuno said in the same radio interview.
The laboratory was slated to open on June 2020, but had to push the opening this August after deliveries of critical equipment were delayed, according to reports.