The city government here will be converting its old molecular laboratory into an Uswag Iloilo City Clinical Laboratory and Diagnostic Center to provide free services to city hall employees and residents.

Once completed, the medical laboratory is expected to accept routine testing, such as complete blood count (CBC); blood chemistry, such as fasting blood sugar (FBS), cholesterol, uric acid, and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT); and screening for tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus.

It will also house the X-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG) and ultrasound machines.

Its construction is expected to start anytime this first quarter of 2023.

Mayor Jerry Treñas, in an interview on Tuesday, said he would also instruct the City Health Office to monitor employees who are suffering from diabetes and hypertension.

This came after the death of one of the city’s medical officers earlier in the day.

“I feel very sad at the news that Dra. Marigold Calsas expired early this morning. Dra. Marigold was my hijada at her wedding when I was still a neophyte councilor. She was a worker. Early at work, very efficient — she provided the data during the difficult days of the pandemic,” the mayor said.

Calsas, who was the chief of the city epidemiology and surveillance unit, was a very important member of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) team as she never failed to deliver her difficult tasks, the mayor added.

“It is very sad because our doctors have been taking care of our Ilonggos, especially during Covid-19 and yet they have forgotten to take care of themselves,” Treñas said.

During the regular flag-raising ceremony of city hall employees on Monday, the mayor announced that the doctor has collapsed and was brought to a hospital where she was intubated.

The mayor said that he wanted an office that will look into the health concerns of city hall employees.

“We have to take care of ourselves so we can take care of Ilonggos more. We cannot continue to perform if we do not take care of ourselves,” he added.

Meantime, the conduct of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test will already be at the permanent Uswag Iloilo City Molecular Laboratory in Barangay San Pedro, Molo starting Feb. 13.

The laboratory is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during weekdays and 8 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturdays for RT-PCR swabbing. (PNA)