A number of Associations Support the Ratification of the Health Law for the Independence of Medical Devices Procurement

By : Joanna Alexandra Putri )*

A number of associations in the medical world in Indonesia continue to provide full support and are committed to the point of having a high sense of responsibility to be able to realize the mandate of the Health Law and to support the Government of Indonesia to continue to improve the quality of services for health facilities, including exercising independence in the procurement of medical devices.

Since the ratification of the Health Law (UU) on July 11, 2023, of course the Government of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) and many other parties have immediately stepped up their efforts to be able to realize article by article and start moving.

There is one article that is quite interesting from a set of provisions concerning the medical world in the country, namely the article which discusses the independence of medical devices (alkes) in Indonesia. Of course, with this rule, it is possible for all health facilities (faskes) in the archipelago to be far more independent.

Regarding efforts to realize independence in the procurement of medical devices, the Gakeslab medical device and laboratory company association immediately collaborated with increasing cooperation with many parties to be able to expedite this effort.

It is known that cooperation has been established with 3 (three) other associations at once such as the Indonesian Healthtech Association (AHI), the Indonesian Medical Device Manufacturers Association (ASPAKI) and also the Indonesian Health Laboratory Association (ILKI).

Furthermore, the General Chairperson (Ketum) of Gakeslab Indonesia, Drs H Sugihadi explained that since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic storm that has occurred in the world and has had an impact on Indonesia some time ago, it teaches every country to be able to immediately carry out a form of self-reliance. including in independent procurement of medical devices in the country.

The reason is, after the COVID-19 pandemic, even all parties already know that it has become very difficult to be able to get adequate and good quality medical devices. Therefore, from the impact of the pandemic, many parties also have their own learning points, so that the current Government of the Republic of Indonesia continues to support and encourage the existence of independent medical devices from all over the world of national health.

A similar opinion was also expressed by the Secretary General (Secretary General) of the Indonesian Laboratories, Dr. Randy H Teguh. He said that since the passing of the Health Law (UU) by the Government of Indonesia, in which one of the important points in the set of rules is to continue to encourage independence in the procurement of medical devices for the national medical world, these efforts have now gone through a journey starting from lengthy public consultation sessions.

Even before, all discussion sessions and dialogue rooms were opened wide by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia before it ratified the existence of this Health Law, so that now it can be officially ratified and it is hoped that it will be accepted very well by all elements of society in the country.

Then, when viewed from the point of view and point of view of the employers procuring the medical devices themselves, then of course it can be seen that the Government of Indonesia has made great efforts to continue to provide accommodation for the existence of all parties included in the supply chain for the sake of self-sufficiency in medical devices.

Some of the encouragement and support provided by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia in efforts to procure self-sufficient medical devices in the national medical world and cover all supply chains, starting from research and development, then in the production sector, health technology, distribution to product users in the Health Law everything has been very well accommodated.

So, with all the good effects of the ratification of a set of rules regarding the medical world in the country through the Health Law (UU), it has made many parties from a series of associations in the world of Indonesian health give their full support and voluntarily even with pride too if they are able to give and contribute their contribution by collaborating with other associations.

In fact, some of the world health associations in Indonesia claim that they are also responsible for being able to carry out all the rules in the Health Law as well as possible. They all feel very responsible for being able to provide full support to the Government of Indonesia, which since now has begun to intensify its work and is trying to continue translating the mandate of the formation of the Law on World Health in the form of various kinds of regulations and other derivative policies.

What’s more, indeed the current conditions have changed a lot, especially since after going through the COVID-19 pandemic first, the view of health services in various countries, including in Indonesia itself, has begun to change and each country is trying to be even better in realizing quality services. their own health.

With a change in outlook or paradigm, so that many parties and all countries are far more focused and competing to be able to further and continue to improve the quality of their health services, it is also important to be accompanied by independence in the procurement of medical devices. All of these things have been accommodated and regulated in the Health Law that has been passed.

)* The author is a Jeka Media Institute Contributor