A new molecular laboratory that can conduct 4,000 COVID-19 tests a day is expected to begin operations next month at the Valladolid District Hospital in Valladolid, Negros Occidental, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said today, January 27.
The Safeguard Diagnostics laboratory that can conduct RT-PCR tests from nasal and saliva samples will be able to serve the needs of southern Negros, Negros Oriental and even parts of Panay, he said.
A COVID-19 nasal RT-PCR test at the Valladolid facility will cost P2,500, which is cheaper than at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital molecular laboratory in Silay City that charges P3,500, Diaz added.
The saliva test at the Valladolid laboratory will also be cheaper than its nasal test, he also said.
The Valladolid laboratory will have cheaper rates because it will be operated by Safeguard Diagnostics, a private firm that purchased all its equipment and will pay the salaries of its personnel.
Diaz, who conducted an ocular inspection of the laboratory Tuesday afternoon, said most of the machines for the RT-PCR tests using nasal samples are already there, and they are waiting for the saliva analyzer to arrive.
The machines at the Valladolid laboratory are more automated and require less human intervention so there will less exposure for the medical technicians. The Valladolid laboratory has a state of the art equipment, it is something we can be proud of, he said.
The laboratory is scheduled for proficiency testing in the first week of February, and its license to operate is expected as early as the second week of next month, Diaz said.
The TLJPH molecular laboratory can conduct 1,500 tests per day but there are days when it hits 1,600, Diaz said.
It has conducted almost 150,000 COVID-19 tests since it began operations, he added.*