VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo has decided to distribute 300 thousand packages of COVID-19 therapy drugs among asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients on Wednesday (July 14), Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan stated.

"The president has just decided to launch 300 thousand packages of drugs for patients with no symptoms and patients with no serious symptoms on Wednesday this week," the minister noted during an online press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

The COVID-19 drug packages will reach 210 thousand patients with active infection, he remarked, adding that personnel of the National Defence Forces (TNI) will be involved in the distribution of COVID-19 drugs.

"TNI personnel along other elements will distribute the drugs. The procedure of distributing the drugs has been formulated, so that (the distribution process) will run (smoothly)," Panjaitan stated.

Panjaitan, concurrently vice chairman of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN), further highlighted that the government will import 40 thousand tons of liquid oxygen as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 case surge.

"We need to exercise caution although our real requirements will not reach that extent. However, if we look at the global uptrend (of COVID-19 cases), including in the United States and Britain, we'd better exercise caution, so we will not be taken by surprise," he cautioned.

The minister confirmed that the government will also import oxygen concentrators for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.

The government has set the ceiling price for COVID-19 drugs through Health Minister’s Decree No. HK.01.07/MENKES/4826/2021.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had stated last Saturday that COVID-19 drugs comprise Favipiravir 200 mg tablet, with the ceiling price set at Rp22,500; Remdesivir 100 mg injection, at Rp510,000 per vial; Oseltamivir 75 mg priced at Rp26,000 per capsule; and Intravenous Immunoglobulin 5 percent 50 ml infusion costing Rp3,262,300.

The other COVID-19 drugs are intravenous Immunoglobulin 10 percent 25 ml infusion costing Rp3,965,000; Intravenous Immunoglobulin 10 percent 50 ml infusion priced at Rp6,174,900; Ivermectin 12 mg tablet at Rp7,500; and Tocilizumab 400 mg/20 ml infusion in vial form available for Rp5,710,600.

Tocilizumab 80 mg/4 ml infusion in vial form costs Rp1,162,200; Azithromycin 500 costing Rp1,700 per tablet; and Tocilizumab 500 mg infusion priced at Rp95,400 are others deployed in the COVID-19 treatment regime. (Antaranews)