Pathology and Laboratories

The Department provides a wide range of high quality laboratory tests and procedures to aid MakatiMed Physicians carry out their diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients. It is manned by qualified Medical Technologists and equipped with state-of-the-art machines that are powered by a Laboratory Information System (LIS) to store and manage data for faster turnaround time of results and ensure patient data privacy.

 

The Department offers specialized tests in different diagnostic platforms, such as Flowcytometry, Mass Spectrophotometry, Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH), Sequencing using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Enhanced Chemiluminescence Immunoassay (ECLIA), and Point of Care Testing (POCT) for rapid diagnosis.

 

In the advent of emerging diseases, the Department is always ready to provide significant and relevant diagnostic tests which address the medical and public health needs.

 

The MakatiMed Pathology and Laboratories is composed of the following Sections:

 

• Anatomic Pathology – aids the Clinicians in the management and treatment of their patients by providing them with complete and accurate diagnosis. Housing the modern equipment to date, the Section offers a wide array of tests, including routine, special and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) stains. The Section also caters to referrals from other institutions and slide reviews for second opinion. The Section is equipped with a Digital Pathology system and is geared up for any technological advancements as it starting rapid processing with future-ready turnaround time. The following are the available tests:
• • Autopsy
  • Cell Block and Cytology Smear
  • Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB)
  • Frozen Section
  • Histopathology Routine
  • Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Stains
  • Slide Review
  • Special Stains

 

• Blood Bank & Transfusion Services – has the capability to recruit and screen blood donors; collect, process, store, transport, and issue blood for transfusion; and provide information and/or education on blood transfusion and transmissible diseases

 

• Center for Regenerative Medicine – provides viable alternatives or adjunct cutting-edge therapies for chronic, autoimmune, and degenerative diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and osteoarthritis

 

• Clinical Microscopy – performs physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine, stool, semen, and other body fluids

 

• Drug Testing – screens patients to detect presence of prohibited drugs

 

• Hematology – offers and performs routine and special tests on the components of whole blood (e.g. white blood cells [leukocytes], red blood cells [erythrocytes], and platelets [thrombocytes]. The Section also performs differential count and coagulation studies to measure the blood’s ability to clot.

 

• Immunochemistry – involves simple, sensitive, robust, and easily automated methods for routine and STAT (emergency) blood tests. This also involves enzymes, metabolites, electrolytes, hormones, proteins, lipids, and other blood tests.

 

• Microbiology – specimens are examined microscopically using various techniques to study their characteristics and confirm the presence of any pathogenic microorganisms. The Section also performs different tests to identify which antimicrobial agent is best to stop the growth and multiplication of the pathogenic microorganism.

 

• Molecular Pathology – involves the isolation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA) from a patient’s blood or tissue sample for a more precise diagnosis and classification of diseases

 

• Outpatient Services – provides safe and quality patient experience on pre-analytical specimen collection such as blood extraction, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab, and other outpatient specimen collection procedures

 

• Point of Care Testing (POCT) – a quality-assured laboratory testing performed at or near the patient care location rather than at the clinical laboratory. The Section offers different POCT tests, such as COVID-19 Rapid Ag, COVID-19 Ab IgG/IgM, and many more.

 

• Serology – performs different examinations to detect the presence of proteins made by the immune system to protect the body against pathogens and infectious agents

 

Chairperson of the Department of Pathology & Laboratories:

 

Redante D. Mendoza, MD