VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia Group is set to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine throughout Indonesia, albeit through the provision of special flights to transport the vaccine in huge quantities.

"We have made several preparations. In addition to being ready to transport (the vaccine) through our existing flight routes, we will train our cabin crew on how to handle (the vaccine) while transporting cargoes," Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra noted in a written statement released on Wednesday.

Setiaputra pointed to the major challenge posed in the distribution of the pharmaceutical product since stringent health standards and protocols are mandated.

Quality, safety, and security during cargo handling, application of hygiene protocols, and accurate time of cargo delivery are quintessential to the pharmaceutical product distribution chain, he pointed out.

Hence, Garuda Indonesia remains committed to ensuring that the company is ready to address the myriad challenges by securing the pharmaceutical certificate, among others.

"Of course, we also hope that this certificate would be able to expand Garuda Indonesia's cargo business portfolio, through pharmaceutical cargo transport services, that we have projected to become a promising market share in future," he stated.

The Drug and Food Control Agency (BPOM) awaits the clinical test result for the COVID-19 vaccine and data from China's Sinovac Biotech before issuing vaccine authorization, according to the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Working Committee Chairperson Airlangga Hartarto.

"We are optimistic of the BPOM soon issuing the emergency user authorization, and now, it still awaits data from Sinovac and the result of clinical trial conducted in Bandung (West Java) and Brazil scheduled for completion on December 15," Hartarto, concurrently the coordinating minister for economic affairs, noted on the sidelines of the Bisnis Indonesia Award 2020 here recently.

Hartarto remarked that the availability of 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine was expected to emerge as a game changer to cut the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and encourage economic recovery.

"Indonesia has continued to boost economic recovery by maintaining a balance between COVID-19 handling and economic recovery," he remarked.

In 2021, Indonesia will receive 1.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine ready for administering, while in December 2020, another 15 million doses of the vaccine will arrive in the form of raw materials to be further processed by state-run vaccine manufacturer Bio Farma for production. (Antaranews)