The Cost Of Treating COVID-19 Patients Reaches Rp45 Trillion, Sri Mulyani: Can Still Go Up Again

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani, said that the government is still committed to covering all costs of treating COVID-19 patients.

Based on the data he shared, as of November 15, 2021, the total budget issued by the government has reached IDR 45.8 trillion. This value is the coverage of treatment costs for 713,900 patients.

"One of the biggest health expenditures is paying for COVID-19 patients", she said during a virtual press conference on our State Budget, Friday, November 29.

According to the Minister of Finance, the cost of treating Covid patients is included in the Health Cluster National Economic Recovery (PEN) scheme with a total budget of IDR 214.96 trillion. Meanwhile, the realization until the middle of this month amounted to IDR 135.53 trillion or 63 percent of the provided ceiling.

"The claim for payment of COVID-19 patients will still increase again", continued the Minister of Finance.

In addition, other PEN expenditures in the health sector are the procurement of 121.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine with a value of IDR 22.8 trillion, incentives for 1.2 million central health workers of IDR  7.7 trillion, and incentives for regional health workers of IDR 5.4 trillion for 417,200 people.

"Health spending this year jumped quite high due to the purchase of vaccines and patient care, especially when there was a spike in cases after Nataru this year and also when we experienced delta variant attacks", she said.

"So just imagine that every time there is an increase in COVID-19 cases, the cost is really very expensive, which is now reaching IDR 202 trillion (cumulative amount from 2020). Compared to last year, when the first pandemic was there, it was still IDR 120.3 trillion. This is an extraordinary number of increases", closed the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani.