Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 11) — Local governments must conduct their own mass testing in order to fight COVID-19 and bring lives back to normal, said Senator Win Gatchalian on Saturday.
“It is important that we have localized mass testings so that we will determine and we will find all those positives before we open up our economy, before we lift the lockdown,” he said.
Gatchalian is currently working with the Valenzuela City government in curbing the spread of the virus. Prior to being a senator, he was the city’s mayor for three consecutive terms and served as representative for its first district twice.
READ: Valenzuela City begins COVID-19 targeted mass testing
The senator said LGUs must conduct mass testing because they know where the PUIs (persons under investigation), PUMs (persons under monitoring), and frontliners in their cities are.
However, more private hospitals must be accredited by the Department of Health (DOH) to test for COVID-19 for the local governments to conduct mass testing, added Gatchalian.
This will allow for more partnerships between local governments and private hospitals, similar to the arrangement agreed upon by Valenzuela City and The Medical City.
The Medical City has been given a Stage 5 level accreditation by the DOH, allowing the tertiary hospital to conduct confirmatory tests for the virus.
“Kung mas maraming private hospitals gagawa nito, mau-unload natin ang problema ng national hospitals…para yung ibang governments na ang makagawa ng sarili nilang paraan para magkaroon ng mass testing kaya improtante ma-accredit ng DOH ang mga local and private hospitals,” he explained.
Gatchalian said the mass testing will also avoid “overburdening” national hospitals such as the Philippine General Hospital and the Lung Center of the Philippines with even more tests.
The government may also provide local hospitals with laboratory equipment for mass testing in their areas under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, said the senator.
Gatchalian also advised the Department of Health to release guidelines to LGUs regarding COVID-19 responses ahead of time, citing a recent DOH warning against misting and spraying disinfectants.
The health department said the method, widely practiced by different institutions, may even cause the virus to spread further.
READ: DOH cautions against spraying, misting: It does not protect against COVID-19
“Of course we respect the decision of the DOH, but sana maaga inilabas ‘to, no? Dahil maraming mga hospitals, malls, local governments ang nagbigay na nito. This is where timing is very important, no,” said Gatchalian.
[Translation: Of course, we respect the decision of the DOH, but it would have been better if it was released earlier, no? Because many hospitals, malls, local governments have already done these (spraying and misting).]
