SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, June 10 (PIA) -- To help accelerate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing in the region, five contactless specimen collection booths (SCBs) were deployed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) - Caraga to the Department of Health (DOH)-operated hospitals.
Two were installed at the Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City, while the two others at the Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center in Tandag, Surigao del Sur; and one at the DOH - Center for Health and Development (CHD) Caraga.
The said telephone booth-style swab collection facility has a transparent front window and window-mounted nitrile gloves, good ventilation and caster wheels for easier mobility.
For extra protection of health workers, it also has an air circulation system and infrared temperature sensors that remotely monitors the temperature of the patients.
"The purpose is to ensure the safety and provide a level of protection among the sample collectors or the medical professionals because they are at high risk during the swabbing,” said Engr. Noel Ajoc, chief of the Technical Support Services Division of DOST-Caraga.
The SCBs are jointly funded by the DOST - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) and DOST - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), and fabricated by the DOST-PCIEERD’s Startup Grant Awardee Futuristic Aviation and Maritime Enterprise, Inc. (FAME).
The SCB design is available to fabricators at engineering groups through DOST offices and the DOST-PCIEERD website (www.pcieerd.dost.gov.ph).
DOST-Caraga is planning to add another four SCBs for use in the region.
Meanwhile, the DOST-Caraga will also be distributing reference thermal scanners to local government units to be utilized in calibrating other existing thermal scanners.
“So what we will do is to distribute to them the calibrated thermal scanners for them to compare the readings with non-calibrated or existing ones so they can correct or adjust to ensure accuracy,” said Engr. Ajoc. (VLG/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
source https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1044327
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