Indonesia sharply cuts COVID-19 RT-PCR test prices

A medical worker takes a swab sample of a woman to test for COVID-19 in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia on June 7. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered to cut the COVID-19 RT-PCR test prices to a range between 450,000 rupiah (some 31.24 USD) and 550,000 rupiah from the previous maximum of 900,000 rupiah set by the Health Ministry, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported.

The move means that the prices of the RT-PCR tests in Indonesia will be cut between 38.9 percent and 50 percent over the previous ones.

One way to increase testing is to reduce the RT-PCR test prices, Widodo said.

He also ordered that the results of the RT-PCR tests should be available within 24 hours as the country needs speedy outcomes.

The government decided to cut the RT-PCR test prices following debates about the prices of the COVID-19 tests in the country, which were considered too expensive.

State-owned pharmaceutical company PT Kimia Farma has decided to reduce the prices of RT-PCR and Antigen tests to meet the regulation.

Currently, the company's most expensive COVID-19 testing price is 495,000 rupiahs for RT-PCR and 125,000 rupiahs for antigen.

This will make it easier for the public to have COVID-19 tests, which will lead to an overall improvement in Indonesia's health climate, the company's President Director Verdi Budidarmo said./.

VNA