The Philippine Red Cross has already conducted close to 500,000 COVID-19 tests since it opened its first molecular laboratory at its national headquarters along EDSA last April, during the height of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila.
“During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we immediately discussed the available testing systems with medical experts because we already believed then that testing would be the key to preventing the spread of the virus. As I said then, in order to cure people we need to first unmask the invisible enemy that has hidden behind our people who unwillingly became the virus’ hosts. And we can only do that by testing,” said Senator Richard J. Gordon, PRC chairman and CEO.
“We’re still on top in spite of the fact that we only started on April 14. We have conducted almost 500,000 tests. With our current testing capacity of 40,000 tests a day, we could still increase our output and do more tests daily,” he added.
PRC records show that a total of 484,151 tests have been processed in its different laboratories across the country as of August 15, 2020.
Data from the Department of Health showed that in the same period, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine ran a total of 203,577 tests, Detoxicare, 181,370 tests; Baguio General Hospital 87,762; Chinese General Hospital 76,094; Western Visayas Medical Center 59,041; Jose B. Lingad Memorial Medical Hospital, 56,191; Cebu TB Reference Laboratory, 55,577; Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, 53,244; and St. Luke’s Medical Center BGC, 45,897.
Ordinary citizens commended the PRC and expressed support for the continued operations of its testing centers.
“Natutuwa kami na may testing center ang Red Cross dahil mas mura ang singil nila kesa sa iba. At talagang maraming nagpapa-test sa kanila. Nung nagpa-test ako dun sa may EDSA, andaming nagpapa-test. Kaya hindi dapat matigil ang testing ng Red Cross dahil maraming umaasa dito lalo na ngayon na dumarami ang nagkakaroon ng COVID. At dapat lang talaga silang bayaran dahil hindi naman libre ang mga ginagamit sa pag-test,” Gregorio Millar, a UV driver said.
The PRC started by opening its first molecular laboratory, which has a total testing capacity of total of 4,000 tests a day, on April 14 at the mezzanine of its National Headquarters along EDSA.
This was soon followed by another one at its Logistics and Multiple Center, just behind the National Headquarters, on April 29. Afterwards other molecular laboratories were also opened in Port Area-Manila, Clark, Subic, Batangas, Cebu, Bacolod and Zamboanga.
Meanwhile, the PRC’s molecular laboratories in Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, Isabela, Albay, Quezon Lucena, Cotabato and Laguna are currently in different stages of completion.
“Setting up these laboratories was, and still is, hard work. When we were setting up our first laboratories, we had to charter planes to get the testing systems from China. We also had to renovate our facilities and build the laboratories in two weeks so that we could immediately conduct tests because more people were already getting infected and dying. The country’s economy was also suffering. We had to engage hundreds of volunteers and hire more medical technologists to be able to respond to the needs at that time. Since April 14, we have been working 24/7 to accommodate everyone who needs to be tested and our people work unceasingly to improve our testing services,” Gordon pointed out.
