PKS: Free Vaccine Is President Jokowi's Promise In Mid-December 2020
JAKARTA - Member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives Kurniasih Mufidayati hopes that President Joko Widodo will remain consistent in the policy of free COVID-19 vaccines for all Indonesians, instead of issuing a paid vaccine regulation.
Mufida recalled President Jokowi's statement that the provision of vaccines must be ensured free of charge for the community. "This is President Joko Widodo's promise in mid-December 2020," Mufida told reporters, Monday, July 12.
The PKS politician was surprised, suddenly the Minister of Health issued the Minister of Health Regulation No. 19 of 2021 as the second amendment to Permenkes No. 10/2021 on the implementation of vaccination. In the Minister of Health Regulation 19 of 2021, it is regulated that mutual cooperation vaccinations can be given to individuals and the costs are charged to the person concerned or paid vaccines. Mufida emphasized that the free vaccine policy is to accelerate the national vaccination target. This includes the mutual cooperation vaccination program which was borne by the company and free for employees.
"We note that the government often changes regulations, so now there are paid vaccines," said the Jakarta legislator. The target of one million vaccines per day has not been consistently realized. Not to mention homework to convince people to be willing to be vaccinated.
So, Mufida said, the government would rather focus on improving the national vaccination program than creating a paid vaccine option. "We have a lot of challenges for free vaccinations, so the existence of paid vaccinations can affect the national vaccination program. Focus on the national vaccination target, which still needs improvement," said Mufida. .
For this reason, Mufida asked that the national vaccination focus be carried out more intensively with innovation. One of them is by going directly to the community and increasing the number of vaccinators and increasing vaccine quotas in the regions.
"The existence of a mobile vaccine service in DKI, for example, can be imitated in other areas. Now we have to go to the community. We are racing against time with the emergence of several variants and Fayankes are overwhelmed, vaccination must be boosted," he explained. increased for the acceleration of this national vaccine program. For example, with the cooperation of pesantren, communities, associations, and other community groups.
"Much remains to be done for the success of the free vaccine program for the people. We ask that the government should not do business with the people in the midst of this increasingly severe pandemic," said Mufida reminded.