Nilinaw ng Department of Health (DOH) na hindi nila hinaharang ang mga laboratoryo sa paglalabas nang resulta ng mga pasyenteng nagpasailalim sa COVID-19 test.
Pahayag ito ng ahensya matapos sabihin ni Philippine Red Cross chairman Sen. Richard Gordon na may higit 15,000 indibidwal na nag-positibo sa COVID-19 mula sa kanilang mga laboratoryo ang hindi pa nasasabihan ng kanilang resulta.
“The DOH does not prevent or impose any restrictios to laboratories on the issuance of their results to patients, as this is in fact required of them under existing guidelines.”
“There is also no need to ask permission from the DOH to release results to patients as long as they abide by pertinent DOH issuances on the matter.”
Ipinaliwanag ng ahensya ang nilalaman ng kanilang Administrative Order No. 2020-0013 na nagmamandato sa mga health facilities at disease reporting units, tulad ng laboratoryo, na magtalaga ng COVID-19 coordinator, na siyang maglalabas ng lab results sa attending physicians.
“For notifiable diseases, which include COVID-19, laboratories are tasked to submit additional reports to surveillance units, but this does not dispense with the requirement of informing individuals tested of their test results, as has been reiterated in various DOH issuances.”
Sa hiwalay namang Administrative Order No. 2020-0014 noong April 7, nakasaad na dapat bumuo ng maayos na sistema ng komunikasyon, recording, reporting at releasing ng test results ang mga laboratoryo.
“In adherence to RA 10173 also known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and RA 11332 also known as Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.”
Dagdag na paliwanag ng Health department, responsibilidad din ng mga laboratoryo na ipaalam nang direkta sa mga pasyente at local government units ang resulta nila kung positibo o negatibo.
Magsisilbing gabay daw kasi ito para sa kakailangang tugon tulad ng isolation, contact tracing at iba pa.
“All laboratory facilities shall provide official positive and negative results directly to patients and local government units through physical or electronic mechanisms, in order to facilitate immediate isolation, contact tracing, and other appropriate local actions.”
As of August 16, nasa 108 na ang laboratoryong nalisensyahan para magsagawa ng testing sa COVID-19.
