BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City received 18,000 RT-PCR testing kits from the Department of Health yesterday facilitated by Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District).
The COVID-19 testing kits requested by Benitez and Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod party-list) are intended to increase the capacity for testing of TLJPH molecular laboratory as the Metro 3rd Emergency Operations Center (EOC) starts its operations today.
The Metro 3rd EOC augments and capacitates the five local government units in the 3rd district, which include the cities of Victorias, Silay, Talisay and the municipalities of EB Magalona and Murca in the fight against the spread of the virus.
Paduano said earlier that the Metro 3rd EOC will have its quick response team for emergency cases, contact tracers, swabbers and data encoders to supplement the capacity of local government units, and medical referral system through a tele-medicine system.
Negros Occidental Board Member Ryan Gamboa and Paduano turned over the 18,000 testing kits, that arrived yesterday at the Bacolod-Silay airport, to the TLJPH management and were received by Dr. Mary Ann Maestral.
The recent COVID-19 mass testing in Silay City was availed of by 366 of its residents, who were the subjects of contact tracing by its City Health Office.*
