Sara Duterte eyes three COVID-19 testing labs in Davao, taps Marikina for assistance

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is planning to establish at least three COVID-19 testing laboratories, with the help of Marikina City, which has set up its own center.

Mayor Sara, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, said that there is a need for more COVID-19 testing laboratories considering that only the Southern Philippines Medical Center is the sole hospital in the city equipped with such a facility.

“In the past, our efforts were mostly focused on control measures….to make sure people stay at home, guidelines when people go out, increase the number of quarantine centers. Now, we have been working hard to increase the number of our COVID-19 testing laboratories in Davao City because SPMC can only test 60 to 80 patients a day, and these are not enough,” Sara said in an interview over Davao City Disaster Radio.

“Aside from SPMC, we are helping Davao Doctor’s hospital by expediting the process for them to be accredited as a COVID-19 testing laboratory. Likewise, we are also helping one private company who’s willing to set up here in Davao City,” she added.

The documentary requirements will be submitted to the Sanguniang Panglungsod next week. she said.

“The model that we used is for the COVID-19 testing laboratory is the Marikina laboratory,  so we’ve reached out to them so they can help us. Hopefully, this pushes through at the soonest possible time,” Sara added.

The Marikina COVID-19 testing lab is yet to be accredited by the DOH because its polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine read “contaminated” samples on Wednesday, April 22, during a proficiency test.

Teodoro, however, earlier assured the public that their facility is equipped with the  latest technology and is manned by a Filipino molecular pathologist who studied and trained abroad.

Sara earlier said that she will lift the enhanced community quarantine in the city by April 26 as recommended by health experts. —LDF, GMA News