More health personnel undergo training to improve Ilocos Norte’s testing capability

Laoag City—Medical technologists and nurses assigned in several local government units in Ilocos Norte underwent a capacity-building training on September 24, 2020 to scale-up the province's testing capacity as part of its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response.

Held at the Provincial Capitol Auditorium, the training was a joint initiative of the Task Force Salun-at and the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC).

According to Dr. Modesty A. Leaño, head of MMMH&MC’s molecular biology laboratory MC, the training aims to empower city and municipal health offices in conducting the proper procedure in collecting, packaging, and transporting of COVID-19 specimen.

“The goal of the Task Force Salun-at and MMMH&MC is for all persons involved in contact tracing, the locally stranded individuals [LSIs], and the Returning Overseas Filipinos are subject to prompt, proper, and timely testing. Importante ang proper collection [of swab samples] para mapadali ang pag-test sa laboratory. Kung hindi maganda ang collection, magkakaroon ng problema sa testing," Dr. Leaño explained.

Included in the training program is the thorough filling-out of the case investigation form, the technique in swabbing to get valid samples, and the proper handling and transport of a specimen to a testing facility.

Moreover, Dr. Rina Corpuz, provincial quarantine facility team consultant, shared that the provincial government has set up specific isolation units for confirmed positive cases to further contain the transmission of the virus.

“Now, we have two isolation facilities for our confirmed cases. Our DPWH facility can house 22 patients while the Takuat Center can accommodate 36 patients for now. Hopefully, hindi natin malagyan ng mga pasyente ang mga ito.”

At present, MMMH&MC has ramped up its testing capacity by running an average of 250 samples per day to 350. (Blessing Angel V. Agliam)

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