Hello Mr. Minister Of Health Budi Gunadi, Mr. Jokowi Asks For A Lower PCR Test Price, The Results Are Also Fast

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) Document: ANTARA

JAKARTA - Responding to the high price of PCR tests in Indonesia, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to lower the price of PCR tests, to a minimum of Rp. 450 thousand, and a maximum of Rp. 550 thousand.

According to Jokowi, one way to increase testing for COVID-19 is to lower the price of PCR tests.

"I have spoken to the Minister of Health about this. I asked for the price of the PCR test to be Rp. 450-550," he said in a video uploaded by the Cabinet Secretariat, Sunday, August 15.

Not only asking to lower the price of the PCR test, Jokowi also asked that the results of the PCR test can be published within 1 x 24 hours. This is because the results of the PCR test have only been published for a few days.

"In addition, I ask that the results of the PCR test can be known in a maximum of 1x24. We need speed," he said.

For your information, Indonesia is one of the countries that charge a high price for COVID-19 tests compared to a number of countries in the world. In some countries, even COVID-19 tests are given free of charge.

In Indonesia, the price of PCR is priced at IDR 800,000 to millions of rupiah, depending on the speed with which the data is published. The results of the PCR test also vary, some are 24 hours, but some have to wait a few days.

The government through the Ministry of Health has set the highest limit rate for independent PCR swabs of IDR 900,000. The decision was taken after many parties suggested that the government set a standard tariff because the current price was too expensive.