GENERAL SANTOS City ― Officials of this city and the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani have appealed to the national government to consider putting up a testing center here for the 2019 coronavirus disease in the wake of the increasing number of suspected cases in the area.
South Cotabato first district Rep. Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles made the request in a letter submitted on Friday to President Rodrigo Duterte, Health Secretary Francisco Duque and Senator Christopher Lawrence Go.
It was supported by South Cotabato second district Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez and Sarangani lone district Rep. Rogelio Pacquiao.
Nograles pushed for the designation of the city, which is part of South Cotabato’s first legislative district, as host of one of the Covid-19 testing centers in southern Mindanao and especially for Region 12.
She said the proposed testing center can be established at the Mindanao State University (MSU)-General Santos campus, which is equipped with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine and has a microbiology laboratory with biosafety level 2 cabinet.
“We are requesting that the DOH makes the necessary evaluation for the feasibility of the testing center,” she said.
In a separate letter signed by the three officials addressed to DOH-Region 12 director, Dr. Aristides Tan, they cited that MSU has “expressed willingness to allow the use of its facilities in order to help in fighting the spread of Covid-19.”
They urged the agency to assess the proposal “the soonest possible time” and if found viable, provide the necessary assistance to make it fully operational.
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
