By: Muhammad Ali)*
The public appreciates President Joko Widodo’s instructions to lower the price of PCR tests. The decrease in the price of PCR tests is expected to increase Covid-19 tracing.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has given instructions to Budi Gunadi Sadikin regarding the reduction in the price of the Covid-19 PCR (Polymer Chain Reaction) swab test. Jokowi reasoned that the decrease in PCR tests was to increase the number of Covid-19 testing in the country.
The instruction was delivered by Jokowi after receiving complaints from the public regarding the high cost of PCR tests in Indonesia. Currently, people who want to do an independent PCR test are charged a tariff of Rp. 900,000. The results are not necessarily out in 1 day. The former governor of DKI Jakarta requested that the cost of the PCR test be in the range of Rp. 450,000 to Rp. 550,000. In addition, he also requested that the results of the PCR test must be known within 1 x 24 hours.
Previously, the price of PCR tests in almost all hospitals in Indonesia was set at a maximum of Rp 900,000. It is officially issued by the ministry of health and the supervisory agency for finance and development supervision (BPKP). The price limit for the cost of the PCR test is only intended for people who will carry out the test independently.
This price does not apply to efforts to examine PCR tests carried out by the government for the purpose of tracing close contacts of Covid-19 patients in the context of preventing and handling the corona virus.
The instruction was then appreciated by Commission VI member Achmad Baidowi, he considered that the instruction should be appreciated but the price that was reduced by 50% was still higher when compared to other countries. The government must also improve health infrastructure in addition to lowering PCR prices to speed up the tracking process.
In accelerating tracking, it is necessary to educate the public regarding the importance of PCR. This education is important especially for rural areas who still live in Wonosobo. On a different occasion, Deputy Chairman of Commission III of the DPR, Ahmad Sahroni, asked the Indonesian Police to participate in supervising the implementation of the policy to reduce the price of swab tests using the PCR method. So that it is strictly adhered to and implemented at all levels.
According to Sahroni, the Presidential Instruction is very good and has been anticipated. He hopes that the instructions can be directly followed by all existing laboratories, and the police can help oversee the execution of the policy.
He also asked the police to remind or even impose sanctions if there are parties who do not comply with the government’s policy. He also requested that the instructions be immediately applied to the regions and ensure that the new rules are complied with by all layers. Sahroni also sanga t support the policy, because it will make people more proactive to perform the test. So that it will help the government in conducting tests, tracing and treatment alias 3T.
Meanwhile, the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) has carried out an evaluation regarding the maximum tariff limit for the PCR test. Referring to the evaluation process, the government officially lowered the maximum PCR tariff limit for Java-Bali to Rp. 495 thousand and outside Java-Bali to Rp. 525 thousand.
Deputy Head of BPKP for Supervision of Government Agencies for Polhukam-PMK, Iwan Taufik Purwanto, said that the tariff determination was based on the application letter JP.02.03/I/2841/2021 from the ministry of health, dated August 13, 2021. And refers to the previous BPKP letter in September 2020 ago about the standard input of the cost is rubbed.
The instructions from President Jokowi were also followed by PT Kimia Farma Tbk which has officially reduced the price of PCR tests from Rp. 900 thousand to Rp. 500 thousand. The tariff reduction follows President Joko Widodo’s appeal regarding the price adjustment for the COVID-19 test service.
The decision to adjust the PCR rate was submitted by the management of the state-owned issuer through a Circular (SE) dated Monday, August 16, 2021 and will take effect from the date the decision was issued. The decrease in the PCR Swab test rate is proof that the government has been diligent in tracing residents who come from outside the city or in the mountains.
With the presidential instruction to lower the price of swab tests, of course, it is hoped that the community can carry out tracing independently at a more affordable price. If the antigen swab rate is cheap, there will be a lot of people who will be interested and encourage the 3T spirit.
)* The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students
