Cluster clinics to expand city’s COVID-19 testing

The Iloilo City government will establish cluster clinics in the city districts in its bid to provide more access of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing to the public and expand COVID-19 testing efforts.

According to Jeck Conlu, spokesperson of the Iloilo City COVID-19 task force, the cluster clinics will be established in the gymnasiums in each of the city’s districts.

 

Conlu said Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered the establishment of cluster clinics to make the city’s health services and Covid-19 testing more accessible to the public.

 

“Ang mga cluster clinics ta ipahamtang sa mga gymnasiums sa kada distrito sa syudad. Ini ang direktiba sa aton ni mayor,” he said in a virtual press conference last week.

The cluster clinic will offer free consultation to the residents experiencing signs and symptoms of COVID-19, Conlu added.

 

Instead of going to the usually crowded district health centers, the public will now have an option to have themselves checked at the cluster clinics.

Doctors who will be designated in the cluster clinics will assess the patient and recommend if he/she will have to be subjected to real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.

 

“Pwede sila didto kapakonsulta sa mga cluster clinics kon may nabatyagan sila nga sintoma sang COVID-19. Mangin libre ini pati ang swab testing para sa aton mga pumuluyo,” he said.

 

Conlu said the initiative will also declog the Jubilee Hall which is the usual venue for the swabbing of suspect, probable, and closed contacts of the confirmed Covid-19 cases in the city.

 

“After nila magswab, they are advised to go on strict home quarantine,” he stressed.

 

Cluster clinics will be open from Monday to Friday. (ERS)