PRESS RELEASE
Answering the call to help frontliners in the fight against COVID-19, the Department of Science and Technology Region IX (DOST-IX) delivered eight (8) Specimen Collection Booths (SCB) to different CoViD-19 facilities identified by the Department of Health (DOH) in Region IX.
Four facility centers in Zamboanga City namely, the City Health Office (CHO), the Mindanao Central Sanitarium, the Labuan Public Hospital, and the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC), each received one (1) SCB unit.
Delivery of the Specimen Collection Booth (SCB) to the Zamboanga City Medical Center
Partners from the Margosatubig Regional Hospital and Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center in the Province of Zamboanga del sur had each received a single SCB; and similarly, the Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital and the Zamboanga del Norte Medical Center in Zamboanga del Norte also received one (1) unit each.
The same SCBs will also be delivered to the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Hospital, the Basilan General Hospital, and the Sulu Sanitarium.
The SCBs will be used by healthcare professionals to collect samples from patients and individuals that will be tested for the 2019 Corona Virus Disease.
Testing through the SCBs will be conducted by seating each patient outside the booth, while the medical professional collects samples by swabbing the patient’s nose and throat using arm-length gloves built into the front window of the booth.
The SCB is the product of the Futuristic Aviation and Maritime Enterprise (FAME) incorporated, developed in collaboration with the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), and the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD).
Assembly and distribution of the SCBs are tied to the DOST-IX’s SAVES Program (Devising Operational Strategies and Tools to Safeguard Against the Virulent Epidemic Situation), that focuses on developing pragmatic solutions to be used in the COVID-19 efforts.
For more information on the DOST SAVES program, please call (062) 991-2051 or text 0917 8011 887 and look for John Apolinario, or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DOSTRegion9 (Bon Padayhag, DOST-IX Press Release)
