Jokowi: The COVID-19 Pandemic Is A Momentum For Awakening In The Field Of Science And Technology

President Joko Widodo during a video conference (Photo: setkab.go.id)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that all countries in the world are currently competing rapidly in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. So he hopes that the current situation can become a new momentum for the revival of science and technology and health.

"This is a new momentum for the awakening of our science and technology, especially in the health sector," said Jokowi in his remarks at the inauguration of a research product to accelerate the handling of COVID-19 which was broadcast on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Wednesday, May 20.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta admits that he is proud of his current work in the health sector. Because, domestically, scientists and experts have been able to make medical devices needed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic such as the rapid-test and PCR-test kits that have been produced.

Jokowi also said that domestic ventilators had also been successfully developed and would soon be produced. "Yesterday, I saw the emergency ventilator works from BPPT, ITB, UI, UGM, PT Dharma and PT Poly Jaya, which have started making ventilators and this is just production," he said.

In addition, he exhibited the work of other Indonesians such as Mobile Bio Safety Level 2 (BSL2), immuno modulator, and artificial intelligence to track the spread of COVID-19.

Despite his appreciation, Jokowi still requested that Indonesia be able to make its own COVID-19 vaccine. Especially at this time, the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology has obtained complete genome sequence data for the corona virus.

He also emphasized that the work of domestic scientists and experts must be able to enter the production stage and not be limited to prototypes. "The works should not stop at the laboratory. It should not only be limited to a prototype, but must be continued," he said.

"(The work) must be able to be mass produced to meet our domestic needs and also be able to export to foreign countries," Jokowi added.

So, cooperation and collaboration between research institutions, universities, the business world and industry must be strengthened again. Jokowi also said that the government will continue to improve the existing ecosystem for innovation development.