Seizure Of 730 Boxes Of 500mg Azithromycin In Kalideres, Police Chief: It Can Be Used For 3,000 COVID-19 Patients

West Jakarta Metro Police Chief Kombes Ady Wibowo (Photo: West Jakarta Police Public Relations/Rizky Adytia)

JAKARTA - The police confiscated 730 boxes of Azithromycin 500 mg which were stockpiled in a shophouse in the Kalideres area, West Jakarta. This number is estimated to be able to meet the needs of around 3,000 people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We secured 730 boxes, meaning that for public use, the use for residents affected by COVID-19, 1x1 is for 5 days, so actually the number of 730 boxes can be used by nearly 3000 sufferers", said West Jakarta Metro Police Chief, Kombes Ady Wibowo to reporters, Monday, July 12.

It is undeniable that Azithromycin 500mg is one of the drugs for people with COVID-19. This means that when the number of COVID-19 spreads is high, the drug is very much needed.

"This means that this is an item that the community needs right now, especially for those suffering from COVID-19", said Kombed Ady.

Therefore, supervision on the distribution and distribution of drugs related to COVID-19 is very strict. The goal is to prevent people from playing.

"We do this as a form of our supervision so that the distribution of drugs, especially those that have been included in important items, especially in handling this pandemic, can be channeled properly", he said.

Previously, it was reported that the police raided a shophouse that was used as a warehouse for storing Azithromycin in the Kalideres area, West Jakarta. It is strongly suspected that the drugs were deliberately stored to raise prices above the Highest Retail Price (HET).

Drug hoarding warehouse in Kalideres (West West Jakarta Police Public Relations)

"We see here that the facts found in the field are efforts to raise prices from the highest retail prices", said Ady.

Referring to data from the Ministry of Health, the 500 mg Azithromycin drug which is often consumed during the COVID-19 pandemic has a HET of IDR 1,700 per tablet. But with this hoarding, the price soared.

In addition, during the raid, the police seized 730 boxes of Azithromycin. Where each box contains 20 tablets. Not only that, but the police also found paracetamol and Dexamethasone.

"Where is the highest retail price that we found, it should have been for one table, yes, it was for IDR 1,700, but we saw here that there was a price increase to IDR 3,350, that's the first time", he said.