By: Alfisyah Kumalasari) *
In the midst of the co-19 pandemic, Indonesia managed to carve achievements. There are rapid test equipment made by children of the nation and the results are guaranteed to be accurate. This test kit already has an outstanding permit from the Ministry of Health. The price is also very affordable, only 75,000 rupiah. It is hoped that with this test kit, many ODPs will be detected and treated immediately.
One method to find out if someone is infected with covid-19 virus is by rapid test. Initially these test kits must be imported all the way from China. The price is also quite high, it can reach 275,000. The equipment must be imported from abroad, so when the stock runs out, it must wait for several days. Though very necessary.
On May 20, 2020, it turned out that a rapid test tool made in Indonesia was launched. This tool is the result of collaboration from BPPT, UGM Yogyakarta, Unair Surabaya, and a laboratory company in Mataram. Initially, this rapid test equipment will be produced as many as 100,000 kits this week, and then made up to 1 million kits per month.
Once produced, then initially 10,000 rapid tests will be distributed to hospitals and clinics that treat corona patients. This is just the beginning. When it is mass produced, all hospitals will be divided by this rapid test device as well.
Hammam Riza, Head of the Technology Assessment and Application Agency, said that this rapid test had also passed the validation test from the Ministry of Health. How to test it like this: as many as 10,000 people were tested, and the results were 98.4% accurate for detecting IgG.
While the results for Igm detection are 74%. Valid test results are certainly very encouraging.
The price of the corona test is not as expensive as a rapid test from abroad, only priced at 75,000 per kit. The distribution permit has also been obtained from the Ministry of Health. It is hoped that mass rapid test kits are produced and the price is cheap, making more and more people tested rapid and can be known whether he is positive infected with covid-19 virus or not.
Hammam also added that the rapid test equipment made in Indonesia is even better than imported ones, even though the price is cheap. Because it is more sensitive and valid in detecting covid-19 virus in a person. This rapid test tool can have high sensitivity, because when it is made, it uses Indonesian strains. So the results are more accurate and also faster.
In addition to producing rapid test kits, BPPT also produces polymerace chain reaction kits, aka PCR tests. The price is estimated at 325,000 rupiah. Much cheaper than imported CPR test kits that cost almost 3 million rupiah. BPPT really works hard to collaborate and produce rapid and good quality PCR test kits that are inexpensive.
We should appreciate this BPPT innovation, because it can produce rapid test kits at very affordable prices. With the support of UGM and Unair campus scientists, it can also produce mass, so that everyone can be tested rapidly without having to pay dearly. When the patient is treated, it can be treated quickly. So that Indonesia can soon be free of corona.
In addition, the support and trust of the people of Indonesia is also very necessary. So that the process of production and rapid testing runs smoothly. When a rapid test is carried out, one must trust the accuracy of the Indonesian-made corona test and not underestimate it, because the price is very affordable.
Rapid test equipment made by Indonesian citizens is certainly very proud of us all, because the results are accurate and the price is also cheap. The public can also do a rapid check to find out whether or not they have corona, and want to use this Indonesian-made test kit.
) * Active writer in the Press Circle and Cikini Students
