Over 12,000 testing backlog due to new labs, expanded protocols – DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) said that there are over 12,000 testing backlog in all accredited testing laboratories for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.

“Ang ating backlogs ngayon, medyo lumaki, it’s 12,208 testing backlogs (Our backlogs now have increased a bit, it’s 12,208 testing backlogs),” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters on Friday.

Vergeire cited different reasons on why the number of unprocessed specimens has accumulated.

“May mga malaking contributors dito tulad ng ibang laboratoryo na kakabukas lang and they got overwhelmed nung dumating ang mga samples sa kanila (There are big contributors here — like other laboratories that just opened — they got overwhelmed when the samples came),” she said

“Marami kasing samples na dumadating ngayon dahil nagexpand na tayo ng protocol (There’s a lot of samples coming in because we’ve expanded our protocol),” she added.

Last month, the DOH expanded its testing coverage guidelines to include more frontliners and other vulnerable individuals who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19.

Vergeire also said that shortage of supplies needed for testing also contributed to the backlog. There are 80 laboratories in the country that are accredited to conduct testing for COVID-19.

To address this, the Health official said that a “zoning” system is now being implemented.

“Kapag nakikita namin na ang isang laboratory ay nagkakaroon na ng problema like backlogs, pwede natin hingin yung tulong ng isang laboratoryo na malapit sa kanya para ma-share niya yung burden of these tests that are being processed [When we see that a laboratory is having problems like backlogs, we can ask the help of a laboratory near it to share the burden of these tests that are being processed),” said Vergeire.

In a related development, Vergeire said that the COVID-19 test kits developed by experts from University of the Philippines are scheduled to be rolled-out soon after “minor deficiencies” have already been addressed.

“Mayroon talaga tayong naging issue – deficiency ng ating locally produced test kits but they were made aware – we worked with them actually – at naiayos nila yung deficiency na iyon (We actually had an issue - a deficiency in our locally produced test kits but they were made aware – we worked with them actually – and they already fixed that deficiency),” said Vergeire.

“They have submitted a new [certification], which the RITM had validated, and we are now helping them so we can start using these [test kits] in selected laboratories here in our country,” she said in Pilipino.

The laboratories are now just awaiting the “final advisory” from the DOH and they “can already use these UP test kits,” said Vergeire.