Indonesia is the sixth country to start the (Solidarity Trial) study and we are hoping to hasten the discovery of drugs to fight COVID-19.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is now ready to test four kinds of drugs that could be potentially used for treating the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in 22 hospitals as part of the World Health Organization's Solidarity Trial.

More than 100 countries are participating in the Solidarity Trial, which involves clinical testing of four antiviral medications provided by the WHO — remdesivir, lopinavir or ritonavir, a combined compound of lopinavir or ritonavir, and interferon beta 1A, as well as chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine.

“Indonesia is the sixth country to start the (Solidarity Trial) study and we are hoping to hasten the discovery of drugs to fight COVID-19,” Professor Abdul Kadir, acting head of Research and Development Agency at the Ministry of Health, said in a statement issued on Friday.

Furthermore, the ministry's head of Research Center, Irmansyah, said more hospitals in Indonesia will get involved in the program in the near future.

"The 22 hospitals are offering vertical healthcare services under the ministry, (and include) regional public hospitals, privately run hospitals, as well as university hospitals and some hospitals under military management, and (are being) considered as the first batch," Irmansyah noted.

The hospitals are as listed below:

RSPI Prof. Sulianti Soeroso Jakarta

RSUPN Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Jakarta

RSUP Persahabatan Jakarta

RS YARSI Jakarta

RSPAU Dr. Esnawan Antariksa Jakarta

RSUP H. Adam Malik Medan

RSUP Dr. Hasan Sadikin Bandung

RSUP Dr. Soetomo Surabaya

RS Univ. Airlangga Surabaya

RS Universitas Udayana Bali

RSUP Sanglah Bali

RSUP Dr. Kariadi Semarang

RSUD Ambarawa Semarang

RSUP Dr. Sardjito Yogyakarta

RSUD Dr. Moewardi Solo

RSUP Prof. Dr. Kandou Manado

RSUP Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar

RSJ Prof. Soerojo Magelang

RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang

RSUD Arifin Achmad Pekanbaru

RSUD Dr. Achmad Mochtar Bukit Tinggi

RSUD Dr. Saiful Anwar Malang

"I have received information that the very first patient (for the clinical trial) has been enrolled at Makassar's RSUP Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo," Irmansyah added.

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Translator: Aditya Ramadhan, Suwanti
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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