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DOH rejected COVID-19 testing center, Marikina mayor says


The Department of Health (DOH) has disapproved of Marikina City’s COVID-19 testing center, Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said Thursday after receiving the department’s assessment of his city’s laboratory.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Teodoro said the DOH thumbed down their testing facility because of its location.

“Hindi tayo inaprubahan, hindi tayo pinayagan ng DOH… dapat daw kung meron kang testing facility ay [nasa] nakahiwalay na gusali,” he said.

Marikina’s COVID-19 testing center is located at the sixth floor of the City Health Office, which Teodoro said they had vacated and dedicated solely to the facility.

“Tanging ‘yung testing center na lang ang naroon at merong dedicated, exclusive elevator papunta lamang do’n,” he said. “Kung gusto raw po naming magkaroon ng testing center, magpatayo kami ng bagong building na paglalagyan ng testing center.”

The mayor said he was informed by the DOH that the facility met all the criteria for a testing center but its location was the only issue.

“‘Pag ganito ang sagot ng DOH, parang hindi nila nakikita ‘yung pangangailangan at saka time is of the essence po ngayon e,” he lamented.

The testing center was scheduled to begin operating on Tuesday, but its launch was deferred by the DOH who said that they needed to assess the facility before it could be used.

Teodoro earlier said he had offered to give the DOH full control of the testing center just so it could begin operating, stressing the urgency needed to stem the COVID-19 threat.

The mayor offered up the facility and test kits anew after receiving the results of the DOH’s assessment.

“Iniisip nga namin ngayon, para pakinabangan itong mga gamit o equipment, kung tatanggapin ng DOH ay willing kaming ibigay ito sa kanila pati ang aming mga test kit na nabili para pakinabangan ng ating kababayan dahil kailangang kailangan po ito e,” he said.

Teodoro disclosed that the local government spent P2.7 million to procure a polymerase chain reaction machine and between P3 to P4 million for some 3,000 test kits.

He earlier said that the laboratory would not have benefitted Marikina residents alone but people from neighboring cities as well.

COVID-19 has so far claimed 38 lives and infected 636 people nationwide as of Wednesday afternoon. --Julia Mari Ornedo/JST, GMA News

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