Mayor Emerson Pascual (in blue) observes how machines work at the Libreng Diagnostic Center ng Gapan City. Photo by Armand Galang
GAPAN CITY – A local government-run diagnostic center equipped with more than P20-million worth of fully-automated laboratory machines formally opened inside the city hall compound here on Monday.
Rural health practitioner Dr. Augusto Pangilinan said the center will be having at least six medical technologists to cater to some 100 patients a day.
“Tayo pa lang po ‘yung LGU na may fully-automated laboratory machines,” said Pangilinan who also serves as Covid-19 focal person here.
Mayor Emerson Pascual who led the inauguration said the services will be given free to his constituents. “Pero kung may mga taga-ibang bayan na mangangailangan ay walang problema welcome na rin,” the city chief executive noted.
Called “Libreng Diagnostic Center ng Gapan City,” the facility is situated a few meters away from the “Libreng Dialysis Center” that also serves indigent patients.
Chief medical technologist Emma Gutierrez said the center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The services include hematology tests (CBC, platelet count), blood chemistry (like FBS, lipid profile, uric acid, creatinine, cholesterol, SGPT/SGOT, and BUN), clinical microscopy (urinalysis, fecalysis) bacteriology, immunology/serology (blood typing, pregnancy test, HIV test, syphilis test, and HBsAg).
A complete laboratory test usually costs P1,000 to P2,000 in private facilities but patients can have them all for free here, officials said.
“Maraming mga kababayan ko sa Lungsod ng Gapan ang lumalapit sa’kin na gustong magpa-laboratory ng dugo (pero) wala silang pera. Kahit P1,000 o P2,000 ay nakikiusap sila,” Pascual said.
He recalled that he realized the need for free laboratory services when he spent P24,000 in laboratory expenses in an executive check-up at the Makati Medical Center.
“Gusto ko ang mga taga-Gapan ay hindi mukhang kawawa na kung saan-saan nagpupunta na mumurahing laboratories saka manghihingi ng pera kung kani-kaninong pulitiko,” he said.
The government he said has all the resources to run the diagnostic center.
