PNP hopes DOH will accredit their COVID-19 testing facility

April 23, 2020

The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday hoped that the Department of Health (DOH) will accredit the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing facility which they hope to open by next week.

In a TV interview, Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa said the RT/PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) facility they are eyeing to open will be for police.

“Hopefully by next week, we will be opening up our own RT/PCR facility purely for policemen. It only has a small capacity… we spend this for our police personnel,” Gamboa said.

Gamboa said the  facility can accommodate 180 tests per day.

“What would be beneficial is this is only for PNP personnel and of course some of our dependents leaving here in Camp Crame. So that is the rate of our test if ever we will be accredited,” Gamboa said.

He said even police officers assigned in nearby provinces like Calabarzon,  National Capital Region, and Central Luzon can be tested in their facility.

According to Gamboa, personnel from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) will train PNP medical officers on COVID-19 testing procedures.

“RITM will conduct the training for PNP on molecular and biosafety,” he said.

Based on PNP data, seventy eight police personnel were tested positive for the virus while they recorded three deaths and 12 recoveries.

They also have a total of 569 suspected and 96 probable COVID-19 cases.

The RT-PCR detects the presence of a specific genetic material, including viruses, from a pathogen. Ella Dionisio/DMS