Private Hospitals Want To Comply With Private Rates Of Rp. 900 Thousand, As Long As They Are Subsidized By The Government

Illustrations (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health has issued a circular regarding the maximum cost limit for swab tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) examinations of Rp. 900 thousand for people who carry out independent tests in all health facilities, both government and private.

Chairman of the Indonesian Private Hospital Association (ARSSI), Susi Setiawaty, said that his party would comply with the new tariff provisions for independent swab tests. However, he asked for a subsidy for the cost of purchasing test kit reagents as the basis for the examination.

"We hope that there will be a stipulation regarding reagent prices. This is because we spend on investment in tools, human resources and swab kits at our own expense, not grants or assistance," said Susi when contacted by VOI, Tuesday, October 6.

In addition, Susi also asked the government to provide subsidies or a maximum rate of the price of personal protective equipment (PPE) sold by producers. This is intended so that the hospital does not suffer losses when following the rules for the swab test tariff of Rp. 900 thousand.

Likewise, the Chairperson of the COVID-19 PB Task Force of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) Zubairi Djoerban also views that the cost of an independent swab test at a price of Rp900 thousand is difficult for hospitals to apply without getting subsidies from the government.

"The price of Rp. 900 thousand for the PCR swab test might be sufficient if the reagent is assisted by the government, namely for reagents for extraction and PCR reagents," Zubairi said in his statement.

In Zubairi's calculations, Rp900 thousand is only enough for the cost of facilities, equipment costs, consumables, costs for personal protective equipment, cartridges (specifically for TCM), and health care.

"If there is no subsidy from the government, the PCR test swab price should be Rp1.2 million," said Zubairi.

Previously reported, Acting Director General of Health Services of the Ministry of Health, Abdul Kadir, announced that the cost for one swab test was set at Rp. 900 thousand.

This determination was made, so that the public could access this test in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic while still paying attention to the condition of the health facilities that held it.

"The Ministry of Health and BPKP agreed that there is a mutual agreement on the upper limit of the fee for swab and independent PCR which we can be held accountable for to assign to the community, namely Rp. 900 thousand," said Abdul.

Before the determination of this fee was taken, Abdul said that his party had conducted three discussions with the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) and carried out surveys and analyzes in various health facilities.

For reference in determining prices, these two institutions then calculate a number of things such as services to the price of the equipment used.

"We calculate the cost component which consists of services or human resources. For this service, of course we count doctors, clinical microbiologists, then extraction personnel, sampling services. Then the other components are consumables including PPE level 3. Besides that, we calculated the reagent price, namely the extraction price and the PCR itself, "he said.