DOST donates specimen collection booth for COVID-19 in region 1

May 10, 2020 Provincial

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) region 1 provides and delivered seven units of Specimen Collection Booth (SCB) for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) to four medical centers entire region 1 on Thursday (May 7, 2020).

These units will be catering for samples of swabbing patients to avoid health frontliners affected by COVID-19.

The areas which provides are two units each in Medical Center in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Ilocos Training and Medical Center in San Fernando City, La Union, and Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.

1 unit was given to the Department of Health Region 1 Center for Health and Development in La Union. The booths were designed and made by Futuristic Aviation and Maritime Enterprise, Inc. (FAME), a DOST-PCIEERD Start-up Grant-awardee, and has passed initial performance assessment from the Regional Institute for Tropical Medicine,
Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital. The
design was based on testing booths used by other Asian countries.

Each SCB is provided with proper ventilation and a protective barrier, as well as seats, ensuring safety and comfort for both front-liner and suspected Covid-19 patient. Its window has nitrile gloves that are constantly disinfected after every use. Disposable gloves can also be worn before wearing the SCB’s gloves.

The booth has a pressure sensor that will alert the front-liner if the door was not properly closed or if there is air from the outside coming in. It also has a thermal scanner that will record the temperature of the patient.

The test will be administered by having a patient sit in front of the booth as the front-liner collect the sample by swabbing the patient’s nose and throat using the sterile gloves built in the booth. The sample will then be given to accredited laboratories for diagnosis.

Aside from the DOST, partners and combined efforts from the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), and Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) committed to elevating the Filipino’s quality of life through science and technology to met with COVID-19 crisis.

Erwin Beleo/ABN