Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said that the government has placed an order for a COVID-19 drug, Paxlovid in connection with the increase in cases due to the Omicron variant.
“We are in the process of bringing in Paxlovid as well, this is an antiviral from Pfizer which hopefully can come in February, so if there is a spike later, the medicines are ready,” Sadikin said in a press statement delivered virtually on Sunday 16th January 2022.
The government also previously announced that 400,000 tablets of Molnupiravir had arrived in Indonesia.
“The plan is also to produce the drug in Indonesia in March-April,” said Sadikin.
Sadikin continued that, based on President Joko Widodo’s direction, the government will ensure that these drugs are available both at the public health centers or in government-owned hospitals and pharmacies. The government will ensure these drugs can be purchased by the public with a doctor’s prescription.
Sadikin asked all parties to be prepared to anticipate this spike in cases. However, he asked the public not to panic.
“It has been seen in these countries that hospitalization is around 30% (compared) to Delta’s hospitalization rate. So, although the increase in cases is faster and higher, the number of cases will be higher and transmission is faster, hospitalization is lower,” said Sadikin.