CLMMRH Covid-19 testing lab to open on July 10

THE molecular biology laboratory at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City is scheduled to open on July 10.

This was stressed by Dr. Julius Drilon, chief of CLMMRH, who presented to the City Council on Wednesday the variation order or extra work order with corresponding additional of P1.2 million for the completion the molecular laboratory (level 3) project at the CLMMRH with the revised plan.

Drilon said there’s an increase on the variation order costs due to the recommendation of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Department of Health (DOH), and World Health Organization (WHO), and to meet the standard set forth of the three agencies so that they will be given license to operate.

“It’s only very minimal and we can operate nine days from now to diagnose severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-COV-2),” he said.

Aside from SARS-COV2, Drilon added that the bio lab can also cater the dengue, tuberculosis, aids test, DNA typing, and genomic research.

“But for now, we will dedicate this facility to diagnose SARS-COV-2 because of the organism of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). We will be conservatively running it in the first few weeks and probably we can have 100 results per day,” Drilon said.

He said the bio lab will cater not only the residents of Bacolod City, but also all the residents of Negros Occidental and even Negros Oriental to ease the burden of Region7.

He added that they will communicate with Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo because for now, Negros Oriental is sending their samples to Cebu testing centers.

The City Government of Bacolod earlier allotted a total of P20 million for the construction of the bio lab at CLMMRH and to purchase testing kits.*