The ones that receive the most medicine packages reside in Jakarta
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Some 364,850 COVID-19 patients undergoing self-isolation utilized telemedicine services for health recovery from January 17 to February 14, 2022, Ministry of Health's official stated during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

"Out of the 391,978 positive cases, 364,850 patients received telemedicine services through WhatsApp messaging," the Ministry's Chief of the Digital Transformation Office (DTO), Setiaji, noted.

"When inquired as to why there is a difference in data, it is since there are people, who have not installed WhatsApp on their phones," he stated.

Around 43 percent of the patients have availed telemedicine services provided by 17 platforms that collaborate with the ministry, he pointed out.

During the same period, 97 percent of them had received medicine packages free of charge.

The B package for mild symptoms contained 10 tablets of multivitamins C, B, E, and Zinc; 40 tablets of 200mg Favipiravir; 40 tablets of 200mg Molnupiravir; and 500mg Paracetamol Tablet if needed.

Meanwhile, the A package for asymptomatic patients contains 10 tablets of multivitamins C, B, E, and Zinc.

"This package has been processed through collaboration with Kimia Farma (medicine provider) and SiCepat (expedition service)," Setiaji noted.

Kimia Farma and SiCepat has processed more or less 159,100 medicines to be distributed to self-isolation locations, he stated.

"The ones that receive the most medicine packages reside in Jakarta," he pointed out.

Until February 14, 2022, the service scope for self-isolating patients only reached cities in Java and Bali.

"It only reaches big cities since they have the most number of cases, such as in Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, and Bali," he noted.

Earlier, the ministry had decided to bolster telemedicine services in response to the surge in the number of self-isolating COVID-19 patients.

Related news: Village telemedicine innovations effective in handling COVID-19: KSP
Related news: Government to create adaptive legal basis for telemedicine sector: KSP
Related news: COVID patients can get free telemedicine services using test results

Translator: Andi Firdaus, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2022