Ministry Of Health Bans Lab Setting RT-PCR Prices Above IDR 275 Thousand And IDR 300 Thousand Even Though Test Results Come Out Faster

JAKARTA - The government has reduced the maximum cost of RT-PCR by IDR 275,000 for Java and Bali, and IDR 300 thousand for outside Java and Bali.

Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Abdul Kadir asked all RT-PCR examination laboratories to comply with this reason.

Kadir emphasized that laboratories are prohibited from charging the cost of PCR swabs above the newly stipulated tariff, even though with the lure of RT PCR results, they can come out faster than the applicable standard.

"We do not allow and do not justify that there is a price above the highest tariff limit, whatever the reason, including the reason that the time limit for the results of the expenditure is faster or not. We have set the maximum reading of the results at a maximum of 1 x 24 hours," Kadir said at the conference. virtual press, Wednesday, October 27.

If there is a COVID-19 testing laboratory that does not comply with this rule, Kadir emphasized that sanctions will be applied, ranging from warnings to revocation of operational permits.

"Of course, the last sanction is to close the lab and revoke the operational permit. Thus, verbal warnings, written up to sanctions for closing the laboratory can be carried out by the district / city health office," he said.

Kadir said the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) had investigated the availability of tools, the availability of consumables, which are currently on the Indonesian market.

As a result, the availability of these tools is sufficient and still within reasonable limits for the application of the new PCR tariff, through the calculation of the cost of RT-PCR collection and examination.

The calculation consists of components, namely services or human resources, reagents and consumables (DHP), administrative costs, overheating, and other costs that are adjusted to current conditions.

"We can guarantee that the tools and consumables are available. Thus, there is no reason for hospitals and health laboratories not to carry out PCR tests," said Kadir.