Minister Of Health: Indonesia Frees From Dependence On Imports Of Red Medicinal Ingredients

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (center) when inaugurating a drug raw material factory at the production facility of PT Kimia Farma Sungwun Pharmachopia Delta Silicone 1 Lippo Cikarang, South Cikarang, Bekasi (FOO ANTARA/Andi Firdaus).

JAKARTA - Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said that Indonesia had released its dependence on imports of "povidone iodine" as a raw material for producing antiseptic wound cleansing fluid or red medicine for domestic needs.

"The material 'Povidone iodine' is used for red medicine, Betadine is usually given to wounds. It was 100 percent imported, but with this raw material you can buy it domestically", he said after inaugurating the factory for raw materials for the medicine povidone iodine in Cikarang, West Java reported by Antara, Thursday, June 2.

He said the raw material for the drug, which is commonly known to the public as red medicine, is now produced domestically by PT Kimia Farma Sungwun Pharmachopia Delta Silicone 1 Lippo Cikarang, South Cikarang, Bekasi Regency, West Java.

According to the Minister of Health, the raw material for povidone iodine is imported from a mine owned by PT Kimia Farma in East Java to be produced for the needs of domestic consumers in Cikarang.

"I just found out that this raw material is actually mining goods imported from a mine owned by Kimia Farma in East Java", he said.

The Minister of Health said that the import of medicinal raw materials has so far benefited the overseas economic sector because the absorption of labor actually occurs in countries that produce raw materials.

The Minister of Health made an analogy with the import of povidone iodine like the production of nickel mining into steel. "This is the same with nickel turning into steel. Nickel is imported from Indonesia, back again into steel. That's an addition to the economic value abroad. Labor is absorbed outside", he said.

The Ministry of Health appreciates the performance of PT Kimia Farma which has contributed to building domestic health resilience by utilizing domestic raw materials into finished products domestically.

"The mining material is in East Java, the finished product is in Indonesia. So from upstream to downstream, everything can be produced in Indonesia", said Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT Kimia Farma, Honesti Basyir, said that povidone iodine is part of the roadmap for the production of 24 domestic medicinal raw materials. A total of 12 of them have been produced and obtained certification and declared halal.

These raw materials include Clopidogrel, Atorvastatin, Simvastatin, Atorvastatin, Clopidogrel, Efavirenz, and Entekavir.

"If now Indonesia is still importing more than 90 percent, PT Kimia Farma can reduce up to 20 percent dependence on medicinal raw materials with a target road map until 2026", said Honesti Basyir.