Davao City: Part of the strategy of the Department of Health Davao Center for Health Development (DOH DCHD) is to detect, contain and trace the spread of the said disease in areas with the most number of cases within the region.
Currently, the targeted random sampling is being used by health authorities to widen the scope of detection of COVID-19. Once positive, patients will be subjected to sample collection via swab and samples will be sent to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) to undergo the Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) for confirmatory testing.
The Assistant Regional Director for the DOH DCHD Dr. Lenny Joy Rivera elaborated on the strategy of targeted random sampling by health authorities in populations within the region to detect the number of cases in COVID-19 affected areas.
“For Davao Region, may ginagawa naman tayong strategy for specific populations. Like for example, yung area na nilalockdown po natin, may ginagawa po tayong targeted random sampling doon so ginagamitan po nila ng rapid testing (For Davao Region, we are using a strategy for specific populations. Like for example, the area that we locked down underwent targeted random sampling where we used rapid testing),” Dr. Rivera said.
The Chief of Medical Professional Staff for the SPMC Dr. Ricardo Audan discussed how recent capacity building has become an integral part of widening the testing capacity and scope of detection when it comes to COVID-19 cases in the region.
“Ang capacity (for testing) namin before is 100 to 120 (per day) but now we have the capacity to test from 250 to 300 samples per day (Our capacity for testing before is 100 to 120 per day but now we have the capacity to test from 250 to 300 samples per day),” Dr. Audan said.
The DOH XI reported in its May 12 COVID-19 Davao Region Sitationer that from March 18, 2020 to May 10, 2020, a total of 4,636 were collected and submitted to Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) for processing.
Among these specimens, 4,056 (87%) tested negative, 265 (6%) were positive, while the rest are still awaiting result. Numbers depected include those who were re-swabbed for repeat testing. (PIA XI/KPLCaro)
