PCR And Antigen Test Prices Are Still Expensive, Government Asked To Review

ILLUSTRATION/BETWEEN

JAKARTA - The government is asked to review the price of the PCR/antigen test which is still expensive. As well as the validity period of test results for travel conditions because it is considered too short.

"Many people complain that the results of the PCR Swab are only valid for 2X24 hours, even though they have spent a lot of money. There are also those who, because they are not valid for a few hours, have to have a PCR Swab or Antigen Repeat," said DPR Commission IX member Alifudin, Friday, 24 September.

It is known, the government has set a time limit for the results of the PCR swab test as a travel requirement in the PPKM rules. Considering that the PCR swab requirements for PPKM level 4 and level 3 category areas are only valid for 2x24 hours, starting from the PCR swab sample for outside Java and Bali. Or the 1x24 hour antigen for Java-Bali is taken, not when the PCR/antigen test results come out.

"For example, the results of the PCR test, if we follow the president's appeal at a price of Rp. 500 thousand, we wait 1 day for the results to come out, meaning the PCR test results are only valid for 1 day, because we wait 1 day for the sampling test. on the same day there is an express, that is a more expensive price," said Alifudin.

Not to mention, he continued, sometimes the current airline schedule does not match due to technical problems and problems that may occur. In the end, people have to do a PCR/antigen swab again and spend their money again when there is a change after the validity period of the test.

According to him, the government must think about the emergency of the people who are being hit by a disaster.

"And it would be better if the government reviewed the price, let alone subsidized by the government, so that the 3T program is also on target," said Alifudin.

The PKS politician suggested that the results of the PCR/antigen swab test could be up to 4X24 hours or even 7X24 hours. However, he said, there must be special requirements, such as the requirement for a full vaccine or having received a second dose.

"Or it could be with other conditions that the government will be able to study further from this public complaint," he explained.