The Uswag Iloilo City Molecular Laboratory and Dormitory in Brgy. San Pedro, Molo is nearing completion as one the local government’s priority measures against COVID-19.
“We are making this a sustainable health facility that will provide public health service to every Ilonggo not only during the pandemic. This is part of our thrust to give our people excellent healthcare services,” Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said.
The main laboratory is at least 80 percent done, with six dormitory rooms for the staff.
“Our goal is to transfer and start operation by May of 2022. The vacated old site of the molecular laboratory will be converted into the Uswag Iloilo Clinical Laboratory which is aimed to provide basic or routine laboratory services to our beloved Ilonggos at minimum cost,” Uswag Molecular Laboratory head Chiqui Blancaflor said.
An increase in personnel capacity is seen with the operation of the much improved and expanded laboratory.
They will be trained to man each section of the clinical lab and will work as reserved personnel to be deployed in the molecular laboratory in times of surges or where needed, like during dengue outbreak, filariasis surveillance, and active case finding for tuberculosis, among others, Blancaflor added.
The current Uswag Molecular Laboratory in the same area in Brgy. San Pedro started operating in November 2020.
As of February 16, 2022 it has collected more than 158,950 swabs, and tested almost 122,303 samples.
It offers the Gold Standard in COVID-19 testing, the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (“RT-PCR”).
Duly accredited by the Department of Health, it has also been recognized by the agency’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (“RITM”), garnering 100% quality assurance rating. (Iloilo City PIO)
