JAKARTA – Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir ensured that the availability of medicines that support the healing of COVID-19 will be sufficient in the next two months. According to him, currently state-owned pharmaceutical companies are trying to produce a number of these drugs to balance the rate of transmission of the pandemic, which is still in a high trend.
"This is certainly outside the production of private companies that can also produce the same drug," he said in a virtual press conference, Monday, July 26.
Furthermore, Erick explained that the results of this production will be used to meet drug needs in government priority programs.
"Drugs produced by state-owned companies such as Indofarma, will be prioritized for medical treatment by the Ministry of Health, pharmacy stocks managed by SOEs, government hospitals, and for packages of 2 million free medicines for isoman patients," he said
In detail, until next September the government seeks to provide 13 million azithromycin, 15 million zinc, 30 million paracetamol, 77 million vitamin C, 26 million ambroxol, 20 million vitamin D3, 32 million oseltamivir, and 83 million favipiravir.
Erick himself admitted that currently the existence of COVID-19 therapeutic drugs is highly sought after by the public. For this reason, he made sure that he would take firm action against those who buy drugs in excess with the intention of taking certain advantages.
“In the field, we have to make sure that there is no hoarding. So when they buy it is quoted and according to a doctor's prescription, so that no one buys in large quantities. This is what we take care of at the pharmacy," he said.
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