we plan to expand the coverage of telemedicine service earlier catering to only Java-Bali regions to Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi regions
Jakarta (ANTARA) - A Health Ministry's official confirmed that the ministry will expand the coverage of free COVID-19 telemedicine services for self-isolating patients outside Java-Bali regions from Saturday (Feb 19).

"Considering the fact that the number of active cases have been increasing in more regions, we plan to expand the coverage of telemedicine service earlier catering to only Java-Bali regions to Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi regions," the ministry's chief of the digital transformation office Setiaji noted during a virtual press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The office chief revealed that the service coverage expansion will begin at Medan and Palembang in Sumatra; Balikpapan and Banjarmasin in Kalimantan; and Manado and Makassar in Sulawesi.

He expressed optimism that the expansion of coverage of COVID-19 telemedicine services would allow more residents undergoing self-isolation to access health assistance from health experts.

The ministry has cooperated with 17 telemedicine application developers to provide free medical consultation services to COVID-19 patients, who are asymptomatic or those with mild symptoms, that are undergoing self-isolation at their homes, he added.

Setiaji remarked that a proof of positive COVID-19 diagnosis registered within the ministry's New All Record (NAR) system is required in order to access the free telemedicine service.

Apart from providing free health consultation, medical experts can also prescribe free medicine packages that would be delivered free of charge by shipping services directly to the patients' houses, he stated.

The medicine packages are divided into two types, the official noted, adding that the type A medicine contains 10 caplets each of multivitamins C, B, E, and Zinc; while the type B medicine contains all medications prescribed in the type A package along with extra favipiravir, molnupiravir, and paracetamol tabs.

Residents can also purchase their own medicines and multivitamins if required to expedite their recovery, though the government would not cover the medicine costs, he confirmed.

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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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