Ministry Of Health Lowers Rapid Antigen Prices, Deputy Governor Of DKI: Hopefully More Residents Do Tests

Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria / Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health has again lowered the maximum tariff for the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) antigen to Rp. 99 thousand in Java and Bali and Rp. 109 thousand outside Java and Bali.

With the decrease in the cost of the rapid antigen test, DKI Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria hopes that more and more citizens of the capital will carry out independent COVID-19 screening to detect the corona virus.

"Hopefully, the decrease in rapid antigen will increase the number of Jakarta residents who can perform rapid antigen," said Riza at DKI City Hall, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, September 1.

Riza said that screening efforts with rapid antigen tests could help the government speed up case detection and contact tracing. Thus, the spread of COVID-19 can be suppressed.

"This can accelerate the identification of problems with the spread of the corona virus in Jakarta, so that we can do more testing, tracing, and treatment," he said.

It is known, the government lowered the price limit for the rapid test antigen after previously setting the price for the rapid test antigen of IDR 250 thousand in Java-Bali and IDR 275,000 outside Java-Bali last year.

Based on the evaluation of the highest tariff limit for rapid antigen rapid test examinations with the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), the price for the rapid antigen test was determined to be the most expensive at Rp. 99 thousand in Java and Bali and Rp. 109 thousand outside Java and Bali.

Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health Abdul Kadir said this evaluation was carried out through calculating the cost of taking and examining the antigen rapid test consisting of a number of components.

These components are services or human resources, components of reagents and consumables, components of administrative costs, overheating, and other cost components that are adjusted to current conditions.

Kadir requested that all health care facilities, be it hospitals, laboratories, and other examination health service facilities, to be able to meet the maximum tariff limit for the RDT antigen.

"We ask all heads of provincial and district/city health offices to be able to provide guidance and supervision of the implementation of the highest tariff limit for RDT antigen examination according to their respective authorities and in accordance with the provisions of the legislation," said Kadir.