Post from Tio Moreno
Friend, logistics takes time, procurement takes time, the test takes time.
We need an RT-PCR test that requires Biosafety level 2 labs. In February, we only had 1 Biosafety level two lab that’s capable of handling 250 tests per day. If you are so aggressive to say that we need to build more laboratories, please understand that it’s not easy as ordering an item from Shopee, Amazon, or Lazada.
The lab needs to have at least three rooms: virus inactivation, reagent preparation, and the PCR machine room. And there are 5 stages of validation required by DOH. Stage 1 includes a 133-item self-assessment checklist; Stage 2 includes an on-site visit by the DOH, the RITM, and the World Health Organization (WHO). Stage 3 includes a three-day personnel training session at RITM; By Stages 4 and 5, RITM re-tests five samples tested by the lab to confirm if they arrive at the same results, after which they will be certified.
Good thing that we already had 28 testing labs as of May. So if 1 lab can cater 250 tests, that means 28 labs can cater to 7000 tests per day. But is it enough for Targeted Testing? No. Hence, our government has worked to increase the capacity of targeted testing to 30,000/ day.
