The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has conducted more than 3 million swabs and saliva tests since they began on April 14, 2020.
According to the PRC, a total of 3,010,432 COVID-19 tests have been conducted as of this Sunday.
PRC Chairman Richard Gordon said it represents 40 percent of the COVID-19 test output in the country.
Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics ranks second in the COVID tester with 757,253 tests and third is the government’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) with 500,540 tests.
“If we did not go into testing, 250,000 COVID-19 positive cases would have gone undetected and unknowingly spread the virus,” said Gordon.
Currently, the PRC operates 13 molecular laboratories in Mandaluyong City, Port Area- Manila, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Clark Freeport Zone, Batangas, Isabela, Cebu, Bacolod, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, and Passi City in Iloilo.
According to Gordon, the field hospital, which can accommodate up to 144 patients, will serve as an extension of the Lung Center of the Philippines.
Red Cross conducts over 3 million COVID-19 tests
There are standby oxygen tanks, ECG machines, intubation sets, and other basic ward facilities that can handle mild to severe COVID-19 cases.
Each tent also has an air-conditioning unit to ensure proper ventilation or airflow.
He said the setup of emergency field hospitals can be compared to hospitals used in the war. In this case, the war is the one against pandemic.
According to Dr. Noel Bernardo, head of the emergency field hospital, they target to get 20 doctors, 70 nurses, and 100 other auxiliary personnel to run the facility properly.
The Philippine Red Cross will also have upcoming Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines in June or July.
The Philippine Red Cross will also provide certification proving that the donated vaccine has been used for those in need, Gordon added.
The two doses of the Moderna vaccine are estimated at P4,000. This means that one has to pay P8,000 to get it.
For those interested in making a reservation, please email chairman@redcross.com or call 1158.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.