We would like to invite the mass media to control and oversee the distribution of protective and medical equipment to several hospitals, including those not handling COVID-19 (cases)
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government is facilitating the arrangement of distribution permit for medical devices required in handling COVID-19 patients, including circulation license for protective equipment (APD).

"The Ministry of Health facilitates the licensing of medical devices required in handling COVID-19, including protective equipment that have met the requirements to obtain a circulation permit," Secretary of the Directorate General of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices at the Ministry of Health Arianti Anaya stated at Graha BNPB Jakarta, Friday.

Anaya remarked that currently, the Ministry of Health had issued distribution licenses for protective equipment products from several industries that had met the requirements and standards in producing APD.

To determine whether the APD product meets the Ministry of Health standards, laboratory tests are conducted to check the protective equipment material.

Anaya noted that APD products whose materials were declared to not comply with the standards set in the Ministry of Health's guidelines and did not meet the established testing standards can still be used in areas with low risk of COVID-19 transmission.

He stated that health workers offering services in areas with a low risk of transmission of COVID-19 that still need protective equipment include pharmaceutical workers, nutrition workers, and ambulance drivers.

"In such a scenario, non-medical APD can be used, and for such APD, a circulation license is not required," Anaya stated.

The Ministry of Health has estimated that Indonesia requires some eight million APD to support the handling of COVID-19 cases, which until June 2020, are forecast to cross 20 thousand.

The Indonesian government, through the COVID-19 task force, had earlier invited the mass media to help oversee the distribution of protective and medical equipment to hospitals, including those that are not handling coronavirus patients currently.

"We would like to invite the mass media to control and oversee the distribution of protective and medical equipment to several hospitals, including those not handling COVID-19 (cases),” head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling, Doni Monardo, remarked on Monday in Jakarta.

He explained that the purchase of protective equipment has not only been prioritized for doctors on the forefront in COVID-19 treatment but also other physicians and medical personnel since any patient can be a potential carrier.

Based on data from the Minister of Health, some 15 million people have registered for telemedicine services, which offer medical consultations using communication technology, such as apps, Monardo revealed.

Monardo opined that this would be immensely beneficial, as patients can seek treatment and obtain the doctor's advice online.
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Reporter: Fathur Rochman, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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