Gorontalo Produces Hand Sanitizer Made From Cap Tikus Alcohol

JAKARTA - Gorontalo Governor Rusli Habibie introduced a hand sanitizer product from his area. This product is made from rat stamp alcohol. Cap Tikus is a typical North Sulawesi liquor.

Rusli explained, the reason for his company to produce hand sanitizers made from mouse stamp. He said, since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it is difficult for Gorontalo people to get hand sanitizers because of the scarcity of raw materials for alcohol in the province.

At that time, the North Sulawesi Regional Police were planning to destroy 40 tons of rat stamped liquor evidence. Because, this drink is prohibited from circulating freely. From there the idea emerged.

"It's a shame if it's thrown away. So, I immediately called the Governor of North Sulawesi (Olly Dondokambey), offering to cooperate. Your farmers have nothing to lose (producing mouse stamps, ed), my community also doesn't lose, so this is a good hand sanitizer. quality, "said Rusli in a virtual discussion with the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19, Wednesday, June 24.

So, cooperation was carried out by making a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Gorontalo regional government and North Sulawesi. Manufacturers are allowed to produce rat-stamped alcohol, provided that they are only used as hand sanitizers.

Hand sanitizer processing made from rat stamp is made by the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) in Gorontalo Province. Then, the hand sanitizer is distributed to the community, so that they have no trouble finding hand sanitizers.

"Finally, we try to change (rat stamp) into a hand sanitizer. The results are good, the alcohol content can reach 70 percent," said Rusli.

As is known, several months ago, Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian once asked companies that produce liquor to switch efforts to make hand sanitizers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is needed to increase the stock of hand sanitizers on the market. Because, if the hand sanitizer is scarce, there will be unscrupulous people who use it by increasing the selling price.

The transfer of production from alcohol to hand sanitizer is considered appropriate because both are alcohol-based which can kill germs, bacteria, and viruses.

"Chemical companies, home industries that were used for drinks, for wine, palm wine, rat stamp, have stopped (producing, ed) those drinks. Switch to making alcohol as an antiseptic sanitizer," said Tito on Friday, April 11.

Tito assessed that alcohol could be a weapon to kill the corona virus which is endemic in Indonesia. The condition is that the alcohol must have a content above 65 percent, then it has been formulated in the form of sanitizers and antiseptics.

"The Chinese health commission, they have conducted research (that, red) the virus is not strong with alcohol or ethanol 70 to 73 percent. Then, (virus, red) is also not strong with disinfectants that contain bleach, and not strong with harsh acids like carbon, "he explained.