The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) marked another breakthrough by manufacturing swabbing booths for testing COVID-19 virus on probable patients.
Secretary Mark A. Villar said that DPWH, on top of its role in converting public buildings and spaces into COVID-19 'We Heal as One' Centers, has built and installed swabbing booth at Quezon Institute that is capable to test two (2) persons at the same time. The swabbing booth is equipped with safety features that would minimize actual physical contact of healthcare workers undertaking the testing procedure with the person being examined.
With the capability of the swabbing booth to test two (2) persons simultaneously will support the COVID-19 mass testing being conducted by the Department of Health (DOH)," said Secretary Villar.
In his report to Secretary Villar, Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that initial one (1) unit of DPWH-manufactured portable swabbing booth was delivered on May 4, 2020 at Quezon Institute in E. Rodriguez, Quezon City - a hospital operated and managed by the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Incorporated and among the quarantine facilities of the DOH for suspected and probable cases of COVID-19.
Undersecretary Sadain, head of DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Local/National Health Facility formed by Secretary Villar, said that the portable swabbing booth manufactured by DPWH Bureau of Equipment (BOE) has complete mechanical exhaust system and self-disinfecting facility using misting and negative pressure room, which prevents cross contamination between rooms.
The test chamber is based on the request of the DOH for swab test booth for Quezon Institute to minimize the risk of health workers' exposure when taking swab samples.
"In addition to the one (1) completed, two (2) swabbing booths are on-going and we will add more units if DOH requires this portable facility in other areas," added Undersecretary Sadain.