The city government here launched the first-ever biosafe swab sampling mobile in the country as part of the local initiatives to ensure protection for health workers in the battle against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Mayor Evelio Leonardia led city officials during the unveiling rites on Thursday hosted by his daughter Loren Kara, who initiated the project through a partnership with Bacolodnon engineer Joseph Saril.
“The swab mobile will go to the people to prevent transmission. Equally and probably more important is the safety of our health workers. We don’t want to see a spectacle that our health workers will be endangered. This is very safe,” the mayor said.
The first of the two units designed by Saril, which was blessed and turned over at the Bacolod Government Center, was donated by the Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Junior Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., and Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade with businessmen Willy Au, Alfredo Barcelona, Alfonso Choa, and James Chua Romie Cortez.
It will be used by personnel of the City Health Office during contact tracing missions, replacing ambulance vehicles as the means of transportation of the health teams.
The Bacolod-made swab mobile, costing PHP 1 million, was designed by Saril, a mechanical and biomedical engineer with 20 years of experience in creating biosafe laboratories and facilities in the Asia-Pacific, including those utilized during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and H1N1 influenza outbreaks.
Saril came home to Bacolod for good last year, and the younger Leonardia met him in April while working on the development of sanitation chambers for the city.
He said a similar mobile unit was used during the SARS outbreak to protect health workers from unnecessary exposure during the specimen extraction.
“A patient who wants to be tested would likely go to the hospital. This may expose the patient to up to nine health workers, putting the medical staff’s health at risk. With this unit, we can limit the exposure to only two health workers, who would be further protected by the biosecurity measures put in place within the van,” Saril said.
While the physical design of the swab mobile may be easily replicated, he stressed the most important factor in developing the unit is the biosafety measures.
This means that a series of tests and final validation based on industry standards must be done before a unit is deemed safe for use, Saril said.
“With all the experience I had abroad for so many years, it’s time to come home and put it to use here. I feel lucky to have the chance to help,” he added.
Loren Kara said she pushed for the project as she was alarmed by the number of doctors and nurses in Metro Manila who had succumbed to Covid-19.
“I hope the swab mobile will give our health workers the confidence that they are safe as they go about their duties swabbing for samples,” she added.
She also said the 7th of May, which is observed as the Health Workers’ Day in the Philippines, is an opportune time to highlight the need to keep health workers safe.
The second unit, which will be donated by the BioPower Group, will be launched soon.
As of yesterday, Bacolod has 11 positive cases of Covid-19, including the two seafarers, who arrived in the city April 28. Of the number, three have already died. (Nanette Guadalquiver ndb via pna)