Swab Price War In South Jakarta Real Evidence Of COVID-19 Business, Validating Conspiracy? Wait A Minute

JAKARTA - A number of clinics in the Warung Buncit area, South Jakarta, have lowered the price of the Antigen swab test service. Giant promotional banners were scattered in front of the clinic, offering test prices ranging from Rp. 70-90 thousand. Price wars like this also happen in e-commerce. This shows that the COVID-19 testing business is indeed lucrative.

We can easily see clinics that have slammed the price of an antigen test in rows in the Warung Buncit area. Of the photos that are milling about on social media, there are at least two that stand out the most. OMDC Clinic and Kirana Medika Clinic.

The two adjoining clinics both have good promotions. The price tag that was clearly displayed on the banners of the two clinics made the feel of trade competition thicken.

How can we not, if we usually see the price of a single antigen test that reaches a price of one hundred to two hundred thousand rupiah, the two places sell it for under one hundred thousand. For example, the OMDC Clinic, from the banners attached, they set a tariff of Rp. 89 thousand.

The fee includes an Antigen swab test kit and sampling service. "89 thousand Antigen Swabs. Performed by general practitioners (including a certificate of swab results)," written on the hospital board.

Right next to OMDC, Kirana Medika Clinic charges lower rates. Only IDR 79 thousand. "Doctor + 39 thousand drugs. 77 thousand antigen swabs. 24 hours," he wrote.

We contacted both clinics to seek information, but only Kirana Medika Clinic could be contacted. At first we asked how long we had to wait in line to get an antigen test at the clinic.

However, one of the Kirana Medika Clinic's customer service said he could not be sure. "Depending on the situation, yes, now it's crowded," he said.

When we confirmed the practice schedule, they said for the antigen test, it is open from 7 am to 10 pm. "The price is 79 thousand, sir," said customer service.

They also explained the reasons for setting prices lower than the market price. The customer service claims that the tools it uses are the same as those that have been widely used so far. "It's the same, sir. We only make five thousand profit from the tool."

With many patients who don't, they also admit that they are not afraid of running out of stock of Antigen tools. "We never run out here, because if the stock starts to run out, we immediately take it to the warehouse. The warehouse continues to be there," he said.

When referring to one of the health application pages, halodoc.com, a number of hospitals and clinics in South Jakarta are estimated to set the Antigen swab test rate at a price above Rp. 150 thousand. The Westerindo Clinical Laboratory, for example, sets the price for the Antigen swab test at Rp. 159 thousand, Mayapada Clinic at Rp. 180 thousand, and Cellscience Lippo Mall Kemang at Rp. 220 thousand.

This means that the two clinics in the Warung Buncit area have almost cut their market prices by 50 percent. Price wars don't just happen in clinics either. Several e-commerce platforms sell Antigen test kits for under Rp. 50 thousand.

At Tokopedia, for example, there is an online shop that charges a price of IDR 44 thousand. Then in Bukalapak there was also a seller of this COVID-19 detection test kit. A seller set a price of Rp. 40 thousand. While at Shopee there are those who sell the tool for Rp. 39,900.

However, the sale of Antigen tools in e-commerce has been controversial. Several platforms even claimed to want to block the sellers of the new corona virus detection tool.

The reason is, according to a pulmonary specialist, Erlang Samoedro, quoted by CNNIndonesia, the independent antigen test poses a risk. According to him, the antigen test should be carried out by trained officers and wearing personal protective equipment, because there is a risk of transmitting the corona virus to the threat of death.

Seeing the number of sellers competing to slash prices, Economist from the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat said the antigen test business is indeed big. The size of the business cannot be denied because of its high demand.

"Pretty big. Because this is a high demand," said Zulfikar when contacted by VOI.

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) has actually seen this antigen test for a long time as a potential business field. YLKI administrator Agus Sujatno, for example, in December last year, was one of those who disagreed when the antigen test was a requirement for people who wanted to use public transportation modes such as trains and planes.

The reason is, Agus is worried that this policy will be used by irresponsible people to reap personal benefits. Not to mention the results of the rapid antigen test itself, according to him, cannot be a benchmark to determine whether a person is positive or negative for COVID-19.

"Instead of being an effort to prevent COVID-19, YLKI suspects that rapid testing as a prerequisite for transportation and activities (including types of antigens) will eventually only become a new business field that burdens consumers," Agus told JawaPos.

The business value of this Antigen test is so large that illegal sellers are scattered. Unmitigated, the turnover obtained can reach Rp. 2.8 billion.

The illegal sellers were successfully dismantled by the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) of the Central Java Police, last May. They are known to sell Antigen test kits branded Clungene and Speedcheck. Both are known to have no distribution permit.

*Read other information about COVID-19 or other interesting articles from Ramdan Febrian Arifin.