"Lafial is ready to carry out this mandate, working under the Ministry of Defense," Ali said in Jakarta.
He noted that navy personnel have long relied on high-quality medicines produced by Lafial and revealed plans to enhance the agency’s production capacity by building additional support facilities.
Ali added that the Navy already operates a laboratory in Jakarta, which will be upgraded, renovated, and expanded with support from the Ministry of Defense.
Earlier, on July 22, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin confirmed that he had instructed the National Armed Forces (TNI) to assist in medicine production to improve public access and affordability.
"The involvement of the TNI is aimed at meeting domestic needs for medicines while reducing their market prices," he said.
According to Sjamsoeddin, the plan includes leveraging pharmaceutical laboratories managed by the Army, Navy, and Air Force, which will be integrated into a unified defense unit dedicated to pharmaceutical production.
"We intend to integrate them into a single defense unit tasked with producing medicines," he told the media.
The minister assured that the medicines will meet national health standards and will be distributed through village cooperatives to reach communities across the country.
Meanwhile, the Head of Indonesia's Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), Taruna Ikrar, stated that his agency would oversee compliance with all applicable safety and quality standards.
He emphasized that the TNI is a trustworthy partner in pharmaceutical manufacturing, citing the proven safety and quality of medicines it has produced.
Ikrar expressed confidence that the military's involvement will help expand access to essential medicines for communities nationwide.
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Translator: Walda M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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