By  Dr. Edith S. Tria, SLH, Dr. Agnes Barrientos, RITM  and Myrna Reyes, RMT, Hazel Orestes Galang, RMT, Technical Working Group (TWG) Members, NCHFD-DOH and  Dr. Criselda  G. Abesamis, Director IV, NCHFD-DOH

Taken at the Davao Medical Center Laboratory on June 30, 2009 during the visit of Dr. Edith Tria and Dr. Agnes Barrientos to assess their lab capability. With Regional Pathologist Dr. Oscar Grageda and lab staff.

Some PhBBA Members, also connected with DOH, were tapped to assist the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, DOH-National Reference Laboratories for Emerging and Re-emerging Infections in the timely  detection and confirmation of Influenza A(H1N1) using Real Time PCR, said capability  is currently  being established in the following DOH Sub-National and Regional Laboratories.

1. Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center
2. Davao Medical Center
3. Lung Center of the Philippines
4. SACCL-San Lazaro Hospital
5. AFRIMS Lab-  located  in Vicente Sotto Memorial  Medical Center

The following activities were conducted  since last June 1 to date:

1. Training  of laboratory personnel from the  5 hospital at RITM  for real Time PCR including Interim Guidelines no.3  Laboratory Diagnosis of Influenza A HINI and Interim Guidelines No 2 :Infection Control and Use of Personal protective Equipment for  Influenza A(H1N1) Virus Infection.
2. Procurement  of 6  units Real Time PCR machine for  the  5 institutions and RITM.
3. Procurement of 5 sets of laboratory equipments and instruments package for the Molecular Biology Testing  Units
4. Provision of MOOE funds for operating expenses of the laboratories for the procurement of  Reagents and Supplies (Consummables)
5. The 5 said laboratories are being accredited by RITM National influenza Center following the Accreditation Requirements as stated in the Interim Laboratoies Guidelines No. 3  (covered by  Dept Memorandum No. 2009-0118 dated May 8, 2009
6. Reagents  for the PCR laboratory shall be accredited by RITM to ensure their sensitivity and specificity.
7. Sustainability Plan to include the following:

• Provision  for the preventive mainatenace to optimize operations and lengthen  lifespan of equipment
• Options for the PCR machine to be used and maximized in the future when Influenza AHINI  cases has decreased.
• Options to use PCR machines  for the detection and  confirmatory of other emerging and re-emerging  infectious diseases.
• Financial sustainability, if possible and when consistent  with policy directions, in terms of cost recovery from clients able to pay, or from other funding  sources.
  

On separate occasion, at the outset  of the TWG  work on the abovementioned  activities, it is worth  to mention that  Dr. Ronald Matias, Senior Scientist, Division of Biological Science Dept. of UNILAB, and PhBBA adviser, volunteered to  give an initial  demonstration  in his  laboratory, regarding his work on the real time PCR diagnosis of H1N1 using his in-house PCR probes and primers with results similarly parallel to that  CDC-US probe and primers sets of reagents.  He  also gave a lecture on his work on this to the SLH medical conference last  May 26, 2009.