"Basic health devices should not be imported. It should be manufactured at home," Moeloek said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia should meet its demand of basic health devices from domestic production and reduce dependency on import, Health Minister Nila Moeloek said.

"Basic health devices should not be imported. It should be manufactured at home," Moeloek said in a workshop on domestic health device here on Monday.

According to the minister, Indonesia has imported various basic health devices such as tweezer, surgical shears, and other tools with cheap price from India.

Indonesia, she continued, has yet to have national manufacturer that produce such basic health devices, but in fact, the country has the capability to produce them.

Currently, some 90 percent of health devices in Indonesia were imported.

Therefore, the minister has encouraged local industry to increase production of health device, especially basic tools, to reduce the gap between imported and national products.

"Local health devices has met 48.5 percent of demand in type A hospitals, and 66.6 percent demand in type D hospitals," she said.

The minister has also encouraged development in research and research-based innovation to produce national health devices.

She emphasized the need for clinical test, to assure the devices` safety and quality.

Reported by Aditya Ramadhan
(S022/O001)
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/B/O001)

Reporter: SYSTEM
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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