Health Professional Organization Denies Taking Profits Amidst The COVID-19 Pagebluk

JAKARTA - A number of health professional organizations have denied accusations of taking advantage of the COVID-19 outbreak. They support the government to prevent and control the spread of the virus and do not take any advantage.

"Regarding taking advantage in the midst of COVID-19, health professional organizations have objected to false news on social media about accusations to health workers who consider health services in the midst of this pandemic as business," said this organization in a written statement from Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19, Wednesday, June 10.

The health professional organizations that have expressed their stance are the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), the Indonesian Dentists Association (PDGI), the Indonesian Association of Hospitals (Persi), the Indonesian National Nurses Association (PPNI), the Indonesian Health Law Society (MHKI), the Midwives Association. Indonesia (IBI), the Association of Indonesian Public Health Scholars (Persakmi), and the Association of Indonesian Health Laboratory Technology Experts (Patelki).

Then the Indonesian Physiotherapy Association (IFI), Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo, Unhas COVID-19 Task Force, Indonesian Orthopedic Surgeons Association (Paboi), Indonesian Association of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy Specialists (Perdatin), Indonesian Lung Doctors Association (PDPI) and Indonesian Internal Medicine Specialist Association (Papdi).

They emphasized that health workers work based on the oath and professional code of ethics of each organization that uphold human values, honesty, and professionalism.

"All the untrue news is an arbitrary act against health workers," wrote the organization.

In addition, this health organization asks the government, military and police to ensure the safety of health workers in carrying out their duties, both in health care facilities and outside. They also asked all parties to focus on efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia.

Previously, the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi viewed that the high cost of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests would discourage people from traveling. This makes economic income from the transportation sector not running optimally.

Therefore, Budi said, people who will travel, either by land, sea, air, and private vehicles, need to do a rapid test as a condition of travel.

"We don't want the conditions to be too strict, let alone the price of expensive PCR tests. Therefore, the travel requirements are just rapid tests, no PCR is needed," Budi said in a teleconference with reporters, Tuesday, June 9.

The cost of examining COVID-19 through rapid tests is indeed cheaper. On average, it costs around Rp. 200 thousand to Rp. 500 thousand per person per examination.

"People who are allowed to attach the requirements for rapid test checks are only for domestic travel. Meanwhile, trips from abroad are still required to carry out the PCR test," he said.

This price is much different from the price of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test that is carried out independently. For one time testing with this method, the community has to spend up to IDR 1 million to IDR 2 million. Of course, this fee is more expensive than some of the ticket prices for the trip itself.