A PAF C-130 plane unloads parts of the laboratory equipment and test kits at the CRK. Same photos were earlier posted in the Punto Facebook account but pending official announcement. Photo courtesy of CDC-CD.
CLARK FREEPORT — A $2.5–million laboratory equipment and 45,000 test kits funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and developed by a genome sequencing company in China arrived at the Clark International Airport here early morning Wednesday.
This is to help capacitate the JBL Memorial Regional Hospital (JBLMRH) in Central Luzon in the detection and testing of the highly infectious COVID-19.
A Philippine Air Force C130 cargo plane brought in the laboratory equipment and test kits materials developed by the Beijing Genome Institute (BGI) from Shenzhen, China.
The lab equipment which can facilitate and capable of having a capacity of 3,000 tests per day will be commissioned and installed at JBLMRH at City of San Fernando, Pampanga, making it a Pandemic Subnational Reference Laboratory (PSRL) in the country.
The Department of Health–Central Luzon last Monday reported that the BGI will assign its own full-time staff in the facility to guide in the preparation of the laboratory.
The BGI personnel will also help in staff training in commissioning the facility and in providing technical support during the laboratory’s first week of operations.
As cited in the same report, JBLMRH is now on stage 3 of their accreditation while its personnel are undergoing training from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
The proficiency testing of the equipment and kits on Covid 19 laboratory samples is expected to be conducted on May 2 to 10.
Once the RITM has confirmed the laboratory’s accuracy in testing the samples, it will be certified by May 15 and can run tests on samples at full capacity on May 16.
Aside from its ability to detect and test the presence of the Covid-19 virus, the PSRL at JBLMRH will also be used for supporting medical-related researches on pathogens, genetic disease, and cancer. It will also be utilized for training laboratory personnel.
