The Department of Health has granted the Benguet General Hospital a license to operate its molecular laboratory to improve the anti-Covid-19 response in the province.
Records show the license to operate the molecular laboratory through the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is valid from Feb. 16 to Dec. 31, 2021.
Benguet caretaker Rep. Eric Yap, in a statement, said the accreditation of the provincial-run hospital would greatly help in the testing capability of BeGH against the pandemic.
“We can now take a more aggressive approach in dealing with the Covid-19 virus through massive testing in Benguet and nearby provinces. Now, we’ll facilitate enough support in terms of logistics, testing kits, and consumables,” Yap said.
Yap personally funded the construction of the laboratory building and donated the RT-PCR and automated extraction machines along with its consumables.
Yap, who also personally appealed to DOH for faster issuance of the license to operate, said the testing laboratory would not only cater to Benguet residents but also patients from other areas.
The accreditation of the BeGH molecular laboratory will help lessen the volume of samples being brought to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, the primary testing center in northern Luzon.
Earlier, the DOH also issued a license to operate to the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital Covid-19 testing laboratory located in Abatan, Bauko, Mountain Province. The license is valid from Feb. 4 to Dec. 31, 2021.
The private molecular laboratory operating in the Cordillera authorized by DOH is the Parkway Medical and Diagnostic Center, which is also accredited by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
Yap, meanwhile, said his office in coordination with the provincial government, will focus on securing anti-Covid-19 vaccines for Benguet residents. – Ofelia C. Empian
April 25, 2024
