Video recorded and edited by KIM Quilinguing, UP Media and Public Relations Office.
Test kits are essential for rationalization in hospital work. This is what University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) Director, Dr. Gerardo Legaspi said in a press conference on March 12. This, he said, allows them to provide their patients proper advice when they consult them about their health.
Talking about the COVID-19 test kit developed by the UP Manila National Institutes of Health and the Philippine Genome Center, Legaspi said it would help in identifying which patients have contracted the virus. He also expressed faith in the quality of the kit, as it was made by UP scientists with safety and efficiency in mind.
Dispelling misconceptions, Legaspi said the kit is merely for diagnosis and not treatment. It is not a drug against COVID-19. If people also want to fight against the virus, he added, one can start by considering treatment at home by strengthening one’s immune system.
Recently, Dr. Legaspi announced online, the designation of the UP-PGH as a COVID-19 referral center by the Department of Health. With this, the Hospital designated a portion of its facilities, undertook the necessary preparations and rallied its personnel to prepare for its role in fighting the disease. [Related: UP-PGH begins operating as COVID-19 referral center]
On March 30, the UP-PGH also launched Bayanihan Na! COVID-19 Operations Center, a contact hub where the public may call for information regarding the virus and the disease. Experts from the university will provide assistance for queries on COVID-related medical concerns, and even ways to volunteer and donate to UP-PGH. Interested parties may call the center via 155-200. [Related: Bayanihan Na! UP-PGH launches COVID-19 Ops Center]
On the same day, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato dela Peña announced on Facebook how the locally-produced test kit was nearing testing completion and would be deployed to different hospitals in the country. An initial batch of 120,000 test kits will be produced.
For more information on the UP-developed COVID-19 test kits, please visit the COVID-19 UPdates.
