Bacolod City now has five laboratories for COVID-19 tests.
The Riverside Medical Center Inc. (RMCI) inaugurated its molecular biology laboratory for COVID-19 today, November 23.
The four other laboratories in Bacolod are at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Philippine Red Cross, The Doctors Hospital, and Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital.
The RMCI laboratory that will be able to initially conduct about 192 COVID-19 tests a day is targeted to begin operations on December 1, its medical director, Ma. Antonia Gensoli, told DIGICAST NEGROS.
The laboratory will initially be starting with 192 tests and will gradually build up to 300 tests per day.
“As Bacolod City endures the continued community transmission of the COVID-19 virus, having a well-planned and well-designed molecular biology laboratory provides greater flexibility and space for added capacity testing,” Dr. David Pedroza, section head of the RMCI molecular biology laboratory, said.
The RMCI laboratory expects to have COVID-19 test results out in 24 to 72 hours.
The laboratory will help RMCI frontliners make better and directed clinical decisions, and help cohort cases to limit hospital transmission of the virus, Pedroza said.
The best way to protect the hospital’s personnel is to have the capability to properly and efficiently identify suspected cases quickly and segregate them properly, he said.
Apart from SARs-CoV-2 testing, the RMCI laboratory aims to be resilient post the COVID-19-pandemic, Pedroza said.
“The laboratory strives to maintain and keep the facility and its equipment relevant across a variety of disciplines from infectious disease to oncology. The RMCI Molecular Biology Laboratory will complement the growing demand for specialized testing by providing more personalized and precise medical care for the Negrense,” he added.*