DOH to inspect different labs amid reports of non-certified facilities conducting RT-PCR testing

The Department of Health said its licensing group is inspecting different laboratories amid reports that non-licensed facilities are conducting COVID-19 Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing.

“Parang surveillance ito. We’re conducting surveillance actions, not only for those already reported, but for those also unreported that we have to look into,” DOH director Nicolas Lutero said in Maki Pulido’s report on “Unang Balita” on Wednesday.

The move came after DOH discovered that Clearbridge Medical Philippines in Quezon City announced last July 7 that it is open for COVID-19 rapid and RT-PCR testing despite not being certified to do so.

In a statement, however, Clearbridge Medical apologized for the misinterpretation of its RT-PCR testing, saying it failed to mention in its post that the facility is in partnership with Safeguard DNA Diagnostics Inc., which is a DOH-licensed COVID-19 testing laboratory.

Clearbridge Medical also clarified that it only conducts the swabbing, while testing of specimens are performed only by licensed professionals from Safeguard DNA Diagnostics Inc.

“Ang Safeguard DNA Diagnostic po kinuha po nila kaming partner as their collecting hub,” Clearbridge Medical Philippines director Dr. Rainier Mozo said.

“Wala po kaming intensyon na maging violator ng kanilang alituntunin or guidelines in terms of PCR testing,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lutero said the DOH will still verify Clearbridge Medical’s statement.

“We have to verify that kasi that’s their side of the story, but if you read their Facebook page lalo, it gives the impression that they’re doing the tests themselves,” Lutero said.

Clearbridge Medical also temporarily halted its collection of specimens.

“One of the basic requirement is dapat mayroon silang… dapat biosafety level 2 sila and biosafety cabinets dapat ‘yong mga staff nila adequately trained sa biosafety and tsaka procedures. Dapat ‘yong kanilang infrastructures are safe, walang contamination,” Lutero explained.

So far, the country has 85 laboratories that have been licensed to conduct independent testing for COVID-19. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/RSJ, GMA News