PRIVATELY owned National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) turned over 50 units of testing boosts and 10,000 rapid test kits to the Quezon City local government, led by Mayor Joy Belmonte, on Thursday.
The testing booths and rapid test kits, including test administration and results interpretation, are part of the company’s continuing initiatives to support the national and local government’s response efforts to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“NGCP understands that this will be a long and hard-fought battle. We want to make sure that our donations will help ease the burden on LGUs and that our support will translate to direct results such as identification of COVID-19 cases. In this way, the process from identification to response and treatment will be expedited,” the grid operator said.
As of June 16, 2020, the Department of Health has recorded the most number of COVID-19 cases in Quezon City with 2,689 confirmed cases, 953 of which are considered active or recovering.
NGCP said barring unforeseen circumstances, testing will begin on Monday, June 22.
It said its COVID-19 response included a P1-billion donation of grocery items to more than 1,000 LGUs and medical equipment to at least 300 hospitals and city, municipal and rural health units.
The medical equipment donation includes ambulances turned over to UP-Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Orthopedic Center, Quirino Memorial Center, Philippine Heart Center, and Biñan Doctors Hospital. PCR machines, SteraMist disinfection and decontamination units, and closed suction systems were also turned over to various hospitals.
NGCP said it would also be constructing donning and doffing chambers, which are sterile holding areas used by medical frontliners to equip themselves with personal protective equipment (PPE) before entering isolation wards, within the hospital facilities of Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Rizal Medical Center, and East Avenue Medical Center.
Isolation rooms with negative pressure will also be constructed for Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center. Three Class N isolation rooms and two Class Q isolation rooms with negative pressure will be used for mild and severe COVID-19 cases, respectively.
NGCP said its other earlier donations are the Meals on Wheels feeding program for indigent communities; a P5 million donation to Project Ugnayan, which distributes supermarket vouchers to economically displaced families in Metro Manila; and earlier distribution of face masks and other PPEs to LGUs and medical frontliners.
