CIUDAD MEDICAL ZAMBOANGA LAUNCHES
CONTAINERIZED RT-PCR LABORATORY, 1ST IN WESTERN MINDANAO

Zamboanga City – Ciudad Medical Zamboanga (CMZ), a tertiary multispecialty private hospital and a Mount Grace partner, opens its Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory which is certified by the Department of Health (DOH), in adherence to standards set by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for a COVID-19 testing facility.

The PCR-based Laboratory which is located at the back parking of the hospital, is housed in L-shaped container vans with assistance from ENDEC, Inc., a company engaged in engineering and construction management. This design has earned the Laboratory the distinction of being the first containerized set-up in Western Mindanao. Despite its uncommon design, quality and safety have not been compromised. It is compliant with the safety standards and specifications of a Biosafety Level (BSL) 2+ Laboratory.

In the fight against COVID-19, the CMZ Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory processes specimens using top-of-the-line and automated technology to yield a turn-around time of 48 hours for release of results. The facility is manned by an experienced pathologist and staff-analysts who underwent series of relevant trainings.

The project is jointly supported by CMZ’s mother network, the Mount Grace Hospitals, Inc. and the United Laboratories, Inc. (UNILAB), to help the country expand testing capacity for COVID-19. It gives the medical community and the general public access to readily available RT-PCR testing which remains to be the preferred mode for detection of COVID-19 cases.