Getting Closer To Covid-19 Vaccination, Erick Thohir Is Faced With A Data Collection Challenge

Minister of BUMN, Erick Thohir. (Photo: Ministry of BUMN)

JAKARTA - The government is making various preparations so that the vaccination process can be carried out according to the target, namely the end of 2020 or early 2021. Starting from determining priority areas to preparing data infrastructure to support vaccine distribution.

Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir stated that in the next two days, the government will decide which areas are priority for COVID-19 vaccination. This decision will be discussed together with the local government (pemda).

"Of course what we are waiting for, this decision is planned for the next 1-2 days. (We) also have a meeting with the governor and mayor to confirm one of them whether we will prioritize the red zone first, which is clearly high mortality and transmission rates. We will prioritize the red zone first, "he said, in a webinar, Tuesday, November 24.

To ensure that the vaccination process can be carried out according to the target, Erick said his party is also preparing an integrated big data information system. This big data is used to monitor the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Indonesia.

In accordance with Presidential Regulation (Perpres) 99 of 2020, the Ministry of Health is in command of the vaccination process. Meanwhile, the Ministry of BUMN will help to prepare an integrated big data information system as a whole.

"Given the very high but still limited demand for vaccines, the government is eager to ensure the vaccination journey is as transparent as possible and the government prepares as well as possible," he said.

The government is preparing this big data information system by cooperating with PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (TLKM) and PT Bio Farma (Persero) as the aggregator. Erick said the confidentiality of the data used as the basis for vaccination would be guaranteed. He emphasized that the data belonged to the government and there was no interference from other parties.

"Again, I emphasize, this data belongs to the government. We are from BUMN, Telkom, Bio Farma, as an aggregator to keep the data recorded properly. So this is not ours, it belongs to the government," he said.

Erick said that Telkom and Bio Farma will protect the personal data of the people who receive the vaccine. Because of that, he dared to guarantee that personal data would not be misused.

"Because personal data cannot be the public domain or belong to a company, therefore we have guarded our confidentiality from the start and because of that I emphasize that we help and the data belongs to the government," he said.

On the same occasion, Telkom Indonesia's Digital Business Director Muhamad Fajrin Rasyid said that his party was currently developing technology. One of them is data analytics. This data is the basis for an information system and one COVID-19 vaccination data to assist the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPC-PEN).

"This information system is made for several purposes, one of which is to integrate data from various sources of ministries and institutions such as BPJS for health, BPJS Employment, Ministry of Health (for health workers), Disdukcapil, Ministry of Home Affairs, TNI and Polri for the validity of vaccine recipients," he said.

[/ read_more]

According to Fajrin, this system will sort priority group data. Starting from who will be vaccinated, exactly who, the name and address are already there. This system will be used for both government and independent vaccine programs.

"So that people who are registered in one system do not need to be registered in another system. So that we can reduce duplication and also provide vaccinations to people who are more targeted," he said.

Fajrin said, when vaccines are available, this information system will also be used to monitor vaccine shipments, vaccine stock numbers and match vaccine needs, as well as other distribution techniques by providing daily control reports.

Erick Invites Abundant Communities to Independent Vaccination

Erick Thohir also asked wealthy people to buy the COVID-19 vaccine independently. This is because government vaccines will be given free of charge only to priority groups.

As for those who fall into the priority group are medical personnel, TNI, Polri, and the poor who are registered at BPJS Kesehatan. Therefore, people who do not belong to this group can vaccinate independently by buying themselves on their own accord.

The contribution of capable community groups to carry out independent vaccination is very large for the state. Because, said Erick, this could make it easier for the government to spend funds for the COVID-19 vaccination program. Moreover, given the large population of Indonesia.

"This is a contribution that is no less important because of the very large population of Indonesia. Of course, groups of people who have more capability should help the government by paying for their own vaccines," he said.

Going forward, Erick wants the vaccination journey to be open to all and attract all input. Therefore, since the beginning, the government has continued to socialize and also meet with experts. "This is the most important factor in handling COVID-19, namely saving people," he said.

The COVID-19 vaccine, said Erick, is one of the government's efforts to control the pandemic in the country. He hopes that with vaccination, the government can reduce transmission and death rates. Therefore, he ensured that the government would prepare for vaccinations as well as possible.

The government will still prioritize vaccines for people aged 18 to 59 years. The consideration is according to the age being tested. However, said Erick, in the future the policy will change according to developments in vaccine use.

"The Ministry of Health certainly does not have one type of vaccine, not only Sinovac, there could be an additional 1-2 vaccines, so the number is 3. When talking about different brands, for example X and Y outside Sinovac, of course, the vulnerable age could be over 59 years, of course. Sinovac with later development can be over 18 to 59 years, "he said.

Based on a number of recent studies, said Erick, 66 percent of respondents said they really wanted to be injected with the COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, the rest admitted that they did not want to get a vaccine.

"There are 16 percent who do not want the vaccine. Of course we do not force it, 16 percent do not want to be vaccinated. We do not know the reason," he explained.

[/ read_more]