LA TRINIDAD, Benguet– The release of test results of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases will be faster once the molecular laboratory at the Benguet General Hospital (BeGH) will be operational by the end of October.
Benguet Caretaker Congressman and Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap led provincial and municipal officials and health authorities during the soft opening of the laboratory’s completed structure last Saturday.
Yap was joined by Gov. Melchor Diclas, Mayor Romeo K. Salda, Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan, Department of Health – Cordillera (DOH-CAR) regional director Dr. Ruby Constantino, DOH-CAR assistant regional director Dr. Amelita M. Pangilinan and BeGH medical center chief Dr. Meliarazon Dulay during the inauguration and blessing of the molecular laboratory funded from his personal resources.
He said the procurement of the required reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) automated extraction machines and other laboratory equipment is underway so with the training of the medical personnel for the facility in preparation for its accreditation as one of the testing centers in the country.
Congressman Yap, who chairs the powerful House Committee on Appropriations, pointed out that the molecular laboratory will not only serve the testing needs of Benguet but also that of neighboring provinces in the Cordillera to help decongest the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) of the huge volume of swab tests coming from the different parts of Northern Luzon as the said facility has been designated as one of the sub-national testing centers in the country since the start of the COVID pandemic.
The lawmaker stated it is also time for the BeGH to extend assistance to other provinces in the region in speeding up the release of COVID test results to help in deciding the isolation of the close contacts of confirmed cases at the earliest possible time to prevent the spread of the deadly virus in the region.
Earlier, Congressman Yap committed to personally fund the construction of the molecularly laboratory within the BeGH compound to ensure the timely release of swab test results of probable and suspected cases from the province to guide decision makers and policy makers in the strict enforcement of prevailing community quarantine guidelines.
The ground floor of the two-story structure that is undergoing completion will be the location of the molecular laboratory while the second floor will accommodate important functions of the hospital and the provincial and municipal health offices.
The lawmaker urged the frontliners in the province to sustain their sincerity and dedication in attending to the medical needs of the people wanting to seek medical attention from the different health facilities as he also commended their sacrifice in dealing with the pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus that will compromise the health condition of the people.
He claimed the sacrifices of frontliners only shows their commitment to render the needed service for the welfare of the people and for them to be spared from the virus. By HENT