Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has tapped the Philippine Red Cross and a private diagnostic clinic to expand swab and X-ray testing amid a spike in the cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The city government is working with the Philippine Red Cross and Hi-Precision to further increase the city’s capacity to test its residents and fast track the diagnosis of COVID-19.
“Our partnerships will allow us to pool all available resources, weave our efforts, and immediately address the needs of our most affected communities,” Belmonte said.
Under a memorandum of agreement, the PRC would allocate 8,000 RT-PCR test kits to the city worth P3,400 each.
Belmonte said the partnership would allow the city government “to test more residents and subsequently reinforce its contact tracing efforts.”
With the current direct partnership, she added, results are expected to be released at a faster turnaround time.
The city also plans to open three additional testing centers to cater to individuals who are manifesting flu-like symptoms and those who have exposure to COVID-positive patients in the communities.
The existing community-based testing centers are in Toro Hill basketball court (District 1), Payatas super health center (District 2), Old Balara covered court (District 3), Amoranto Stadium (District 4), SB Park Novaliches (District 5) and Talipapa Senior High School (District 6) that operate Mondays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rio N. Araja
Belmonte said the city has inked a partnership with Hi-Precision diagnostics clinic wherein the latter has offered to lend its two mobile X-ray units.
The units worth P3.6 million each would be put up in the two of the city’s HOPE facilities and cater to the admitted patients.
“The idea is to decongest our hospitals by putting these machines in our HOPE facilities so that our mild to moderate or asymptomatic patients can have their X-ray done at the soonest time possible,” the city mayor said.