ILOILO City – Unscrupulous persons are cashing in on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. They are selling fake negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR) results.
The Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao district wants to unmask them. It asked the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the bogus RT-PCR test result discovered at the Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) campus in Dingle, Iloilo.
A personnel of the fishery school went to the hospital on Oct. 16 to validate the document submitted by a staff, according to Dr. Stephanie Abello, chief pathologist of the WVMC sub-national laboratory where the region’s COVID-19 tests are conducted.
“May isa ka admin staff ang ISCOF-Dingle nga nag-inquire sa validity sang test result. May sila isa ka employee nga nag-submit sang amo to nga brand sang RT-PCR. Good thing the attending nurse was alert. Ginpa-verify niya and it was found out nga indi valid ang document,” said Abello.
According to Abelo, the bogus document bore the names of fake signatories “Arriane Sibal”, “Abigail Joy Pastolero”, “Andres Miranda”, and “Pierre Layson” who were not employees of WVMC.
The tampered test result also lacked security features like the bar code, patient identification number and logo of the sub-national laboratory.
But it was almost identical with the authentic RT-PCR result being issued by WVMC as it also contained logos and contact details of WVMC and the Department of Health.
The ISCOF-Dingle staff who submitted this test result supposedly intended to return to work after getting sick for weeks. But the latter exhibited symptoms similar to COVID-19 and was required to undergo RT-PCR test.
According to Abello, employees being pressured to secure a negative RT-PCR result by their employers may be resorting to faking their results.
But she did not ruled out other circumstances.
“Subong wala pa kami kabalo kon paano nakahimu sang fake nga RT-PCR test results. Puede nga for convenience sang isa ka tawo nga required nga magpa-test, naghimu-himu and isolated case lang. Basi may ara man nga naga-operate especially nga may money involved,” Abello said.
For now, Abello encouraged companies and agencies to designate a focal person like human resource officer in obtaining the RT-PCR test results of their employees processed at WVMC sub-national laboratory.
She likewise called on the public to be vigilant and report to any law enforcement authority any person found to be producing fake RT-PCR results.
“We strongly condemn such act and any person found to be liable for faking WVMC-SNL results shall be lawfully dealt with,” Abello said./PN
