The public procurement platform in Galicia includes a tender for the gradual supply of reagents and the transfer of equipment necessary for perform molecular diagnostic techniques in the microbiology laboratory of the Ferrol Health Area.
The Xunta invests almost two million euros in this contract which will be divided into four parts. On the one hand, the molecular diagnosis of viruses such as HIV or HPV, sexually transmitted infections or respiratory viruses, among others, is contracted. The second batch covers molecular diagnostics through various panels, while the third and fourth parts cover tuberculosis molecular biology and sequencing.
As explained from the Ferrol Area, some of these diagnoses have already been carried out in the laboratory, but this will mean an improvement in various aspects, where it is already a reference in Galicia for example for pneumococcus. Person responsible for microbiology laboratory, Andrés Agullahe explained that this competition includes special novelties “incorporating top-level genetic sequencing and expanding molecular biology techniques”.
All this is reflected in the population investigation of epidemic outbreaks, study of bacteria – especially those with widespread antibiotic resistance – or when studying resistance to viruses such as HIV or hepatitis B. The Microbiology Laboratory of the Ferrol University Hospital Complex –CHUF– is located in the Naval Hospital and as part of the Phase 0 actions of the Marcide Master Plan, its premises and resources have been greatly improved.
Committed
This CHUF department is mainly dedicated to the monitoring and treatment of samples for the diagnosis of infectious diseases, through bacterial culture, virological studies, antibiotic resistance, papilloma, viruses, covid, hepatitis, etc.. in addition to having a specific space for tuberculosis analysis. A specific department of this service is molecular biology, in which tests for the whole area are updated, of which there are more than 30,000 annually.
The laboratory, which is in operation 24 hours a day, has a total of 30 professionals between physicians, laboratory technicians, nursing professionals and administrative assistants, as well as sharing staff such as guardians with the central laboratory. The Microbiology Service has been accredited for teaching since July 2021 and also has excellent quality standards such as ISO since 2012.
