The COVID-19 pandemic has given us a valuable lesson about the importance of strengthening our health service system, particularly in conducting 3Ts — testing, tracing, and treatment.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The COVID-19 pandemic has built momentum for improving the health service system, and particularly to achieve self-reliance in drugs and medical equipment production, Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has said.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has given us a valuable lesson about the importance of strengthening our health service system, particularly in conducting 3Ts — testing, tracing, and treatment," he said during a web seminar on health resilience and self-reliance on Thursday.

COVID-19 transmission can be controlled more quickly and easily if public health service posts (puskemas) that act as first-level health facilities have sufficient facilities, he added.

"The 3Ts can be easily carried out if we have sufficient first-level health facilities to control transmission,” he said.

Related news: Indonesia set to forge forward in TB handling amid COVID-19 pandemic

The pandemic has also made the nation aware of the need for Indonesia becoming self-reliant in supplying healthcare workers, medicines, vaccines, and medical equipment, and conducting research, he observed.

Indonesia is still facing uneven distribution of healthcare workers, particularly in the less fortunate, outermost and outlying areas, he pointed out.

"The Indonesia Health Profile Report 2019 shows that 19.7 percent of puskesmas are running short of doctors, and 65.6 percent of puskesmas have no complete preventive and promotive workers,” Amin said.

Indonesia is also unable to meet demand for raw materials for the production of drugs and vaccines. Nearly 90 percent of the raw materials are still being imported, he added.

Related news: Indonesia again receives 16 mln semi-finished doses of Sinovac vaccine





Translator: Fransiska Ninditya/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021