To accelerate COVID-19 mass testing in the Philippines while protecting frontline healthcare workers during specimen collection, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) delivered and installed 132 specimen collection booths (SCBs) to 89 DOH-identified hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country.
As of May 23, the booths were successfully distributed to nine cities in NCR and 37 provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Fabrication of the SCBs was facilitated since April by Mr. Augusto Martinez III and his team at the Futuristic Aviation and Maritime Enterprise (FAME) Inc.
Inspired by the telephone booth-style swab collection facilities in other Asian countries, the SCB is equipped with a transparent front window, ventilation, and caster wheels for easier mobility. For added safety and protection, it also comes with pressure and infrared temperature sensors which can be used for remote monitoring of the patient and separate disinfection agents inside and outside the swab booth.
Each booth contains two holes at the front panel which allows the healthcare worker, in proper PPE, to collect the patient’s samples. Five minutes is then allotted to disinfect the booth before receiving the next patient.
Designed to reduce the exposure of frontline health workers to suspected COVID-19 patients, the fabrication and distribution of SCBs were sponsored by DOST-attached agencies, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD). The Philippine Coast Guard provided assistance in the delivery of some of the units to Visayas and Mindanao.
The recipients of SCBs also received instructional materials, videos, and document manuals on how to install and use the booths. The design was also made available publicly for free and disseminated through the DOST Regional Offices, in case other entities would like to fabricate their own booths.
The public can access the design through this link:http://pcieerd.dost.gov.ph/library/fame-design.
Written by Christine Jane M. Gonzalez
