Recalculation Simulation, Bio Farma Believes PCR Test Prices Can Still Be Lowered

ILLUSTRATION/BETWEEN

JAKARTA - Bio Farma together with the Pharmaceutical BUMN Holding will recalculate or simulate the COVID-19 PCR test service considering that Bio Farma believes there is still a gap to lower the price of the service.

"There was a simple exercise or simulation that we did yesterday, there is actually a gap for the (PCR test) to go down, but we don't know what percentage of the decrease, but we are still trying to do the simulation again," said Director of Bio Farma Honesti Basyir in Hearing Meeting with Commission VI DPR quoted by Antara, Tuesday, November 9.

Honesti gave an example of the Bio Saliva product launched by Bio Farma, where the PCR test product by gargling can reduce the cost of PPE equipment because in carrying out the PCR Bio Saliva test, health workers do not need PPE anymore.

In addition, PCR tests using Bio Saliva can be carried out in bulk, of course, if it is mass, Bio Farma can accurately estimate the production volume for Bio Saliva.

"It's just that we haven't reached that detail to calculate everything, indeed there are some costs that we cannot reduce such as costs for health workers because they are our employees and indeed there are rules to pay them. But we believe, we still have a gap to can lower the price of this PCR test service," he said.

What percentage of the price reduction is, Bio Farma needs to exercise again because it involves Bio Farma's production capacity in which to what volume is optimal for reducing the cost of the PCR test.

Honesti also revealed that examples such as the mBioCoV-19 RT-PCR Kit or Bio Saliva components issued by Bio Farma are only about 30 percent of the total price of the PCR test service. And in terms of reagent distribution, it's only about 20 percent, so it's not really that significant.

"We will try to exercise again starting from the service whether the price of Rp. 275,000 will go down to what price, then what kind of business model, will it be an operational cooperation (KSO) and that has actually been done. We are also like Kimia Farma and Indofarma, they don't invest in the PCR machine now and also from the RNA kit, but we do do a KSO. In principle we agree and we will try to do an exercise, how the affordable price of this PCR test can be enjoyed by the public," he explained.

Previously, the Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Vaccination of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said the government wanted the public to get a real time polymer chain reaction (RT-PCR) test service at a reasonable price.

The government adjusted the upper limit price for the PCR test from IDR 495,000 for Java and Bali to IDR 275 thousand. Meanwhile, the PCR tariff for areas outside Java and Bali decreased from Rp. 525 thousand to Rp. 300 thousand.

Nadia said the government evaluates the price of the COVID-19 test using the PCR method from time to time to ensure that the public can get an examination according to the price that should be paid.

Nadia added that the price adjustment for the PCR examination was carried out in accordance with existing conditions. Including the matter of market prices, supply, and types which until now for the reagents themselves reach 200 brands with price variations.

PCR examination is the golden standard COVID-19 test method or the most effective of other methods on the market.