DOH RELEASE OF LICENSE TO BEGH MOLECULAR LAB

February 20, 2021 Headlines

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Feb 19(PIA) – The Benguet General Hospital (BeGH) can now operate its molecular laboratory for COVID-19 testing as the Department of Health finally issued its license to operate. The provincial government of Benguet announced on Friday(February 19) that the DOH through its Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau issued the BeGH molecular laboratory its license to operate which is valid from February 16 to December 31, 2021.
ACT-CIS Partylist Representative and Benguet Legislative Caretaker Eric Go Yap has been instrumental in the establishment of the molecular lab and its issuance of LTO.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Yap vowed to help in improving the testing capacity of the local health facility and ensure that frontliners and the people of Benguet will be tested for COVID-19.
In July last year, Yap personally funded the construction of the molecular laboratory building at the BeGH and the acquisition of the equipment and machines needed for a fully functional molecular lab.
The provincial government of Benguet also acquired some equipment needed for the full operation of the molecular laboratory. With the issuance of a license to operate, Gov. Melchor Diclas said that the molecular lab is expected to effectively address and diagnose COVID-19 cases in Benguet and other nearby provinces.
At present, the swab tests conducted in Benguet and the other Cordillera provinces are being processed at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center. The Luis Hora Regional Memorial Hospital molecular lab in Bauko, Mt. Province which has recently acquired its license to operate is starting to process specimen from the province.
BeGH Acting Chief of Hospital Dr. Meliarazon Dulay said they are preparing the requirements for Philippine Health Insurance Corporation accreditation so fees would not be a burden to iBenguets and other clients of the new molecular laboratory. The BeGH molecular lab is the fourth COVID-19 testing laboratory in the Cordillera region.
JDP/RMC- PIA CAR