Gov. Arthur Yap sees the new reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) laboratory inside the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) as a “milestone in the fight against Covid 19 (coronavirus disease).”
He gave the statement as he graced the soft opening of the RT-PCR laboratory inside the regional hospital in Bohol, on Monday, August 3, 2020.
He added that with the RT-PCR laboratory the turnaround time for the result will be shorter.
In the past, the governor said, the wait time for the results could take as long as two (2) weeks.
“Sa naandan, kung magpa-test ka kung duna ba kay Covid pinaagi sa RT-PCR, ipadala pa ang swab sample ngadto sa Cebu ug moabot pa’g mga duha ka semana ayha makuha ang resulta. Masulbad na karon ang problema sa dugay nga pagguwa sa resulta,” the governor said in a statement released by the information cluster head of the Capitol to the media. Said information is also posted on social media.
The new laboratory started processing swab samples as of Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, Dr. Mutya Kismet Macuno, GCGMH medical center chief, said in a radio interview over Open Forum on Monday.
She added that the laboratory will be operating in two (2) shifts and will have a total capacity of 210 tests per day.
Moreover, she said that results of the swab tests will be released after 24 hours from the time the samples are sent to the laboratory for processing.