Starting Tomorrow, The Mimika Papua Regency Government Applies A New Price For PCR Tests Of IDR 525 Thousand

Mimika Hospital Director Dr. Antonius Pasulu (ANTARA)

PAPUA - The Mimika Regency Government, Papua, will immediately impose a new tariff for the COVID-19 PCR examination for travelers outside the region of Rp525,000 starting Wednesday, August 18 tomorrow.

"The new PCR test tariff for travellers is IDR 525,000 as per the Circular Letter of the Ministry of Health Number: HK.02.02/I/2845/2021 will be enforced starting Wednesday, August 18, 2021," said Mimika Hospital Director Dr. Antonius Pasulu in Timika, Antara, Tuesday, August 17th.

Previously, the PCR examination fee for travellers was IDR 900 thousand according to a previous circular from the Ministry of Health.

The tariff of Rp. 900 thousand, said Antonius, is only for travellers, while for COVID-19 patients there is absolutely no fee.

"From the beginning, patients have remained free until now," said Antonius.

According to him, the component that triggers the high cost of PCR examinations is the price of reagents, where for the size of 1 kit it costs Rp. 70 million.

"The size of 1 kit is for one running as many as 96 samples. That's already with two controls," he explained.

The price for PCR examinations for travellers is Rp. 900 million which has been applied so far because they have received subsidies from the government.

"We calculate all the costs incurred for one PCR examination starting from reagents, consumables, medical personnel, electricity and others, if in Timika it reaches Rp. 1.3 million to Rp. 1.4 million," said Antonius.

With the PCR fee for travellers set at Rp900 thousand so far, he said, it means that there are costs that get subsidies from the government.

"Now the tariff is reduced to IDR 525,000, which means the subsidy from the government will be even higher. We don't know yet whether the subsidy will be in the form of reagents or what kind, we haven't received further directions," said Antonius.

In Mimika itself, there are three PCR machines for determining COVID-19 cases, namely the Mimika Hospital, PT Freeport Indonesia which is operated at the Kuala Kencana Clinic and the Timika Partner Community Hospital (RSMM).