Dinkes Find Receipts Rp250 Thousand Pay Antigen Test, Polda Kalbar Direct Move

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

KALIMANTAN - Directorate of Reserse and General Criminal Police of West Kalimantan (Kalbar) is still investigating suspected illegal levies (pungli) rapid test of COVID-19 antigen grants from the Health Office of Kalbar Province in Sambas Regency.

"To date, it is still under investigation. We are exploring the people who test quickly using the grant test equipment of the West Kalimantan Health Office for the Sambas region," said Head of Public Relations of West Kalimantan Police, Kombes Donny Charles Go, in Pontianak quoted from Antara, Tuesday, May 25.

While the Head of The Provincial Health Office of Kalbar Harrison said, they handed over the handling of the case to the West Kalimantan Police. "It has been reported to the West Kalimantan Police," he said.

He stressed that the rapid test of COVID antigen by the West Kalimantan Health Office and other districts/cities is conducted free of charge.

"If the test is done in puskesmas or by health workers from the service, it is free of charge. This I convey because we found proof of receipt documents amounting to Rp250 thousand in one of the districts for payment of antigen rapid tests," said Harisson.

The findings of this receipt indicate there is a pungli because the state should not charge any test fees to the public.

"That makes us make sure it pungli because the evidence of the document is attached along with a certificate of antigen rapid test results with the letterhead of the Health Office of one of the districts. If there is financing, it must be regulated in the Perda and the money goes into the regional treasury," he said.

Harisson said, getting the information, the Governor of West Kalimantan, Sutarmidji, asked him as the head of the West Kalimantan Health Office.

"The governor is clearly angry, because it should be a free antigen swab test by the service. Because the government has sent as many as 3,500 antigen rapid tests to the district office," he said.

He expects law enforcement officials to immediately investigate the case. "We hope this can be handled wisely by other district /city agencies so as not to let this happen in other areas," he said.