Industries Urged to Refocus Business to Health Sector

Minister of Industry delivers press statement via video conference on Wedne sday (15/4). (Photo: Rahmat/PR).

National industry has been urged to shift their business to producing medical equipment, medicine as well as vitamin, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita has said.

“President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has set a target that medical equipment, medicine and vitamin can be fully supplied by domestic industry. This shows that the Government fully trusts the ability of domestic industry to produce the commodities,” the Minister said, Wednesday (15/4).

According to Agus, industries should also focus on measures to fulfill the needs for raw materials related to those products.

The Government, he added, is also encouraging production of OMAI (Original Indonesian Modern Medicine), a kind of supplement made of 100 percent herbal ingredients as the country is well-known for its rich variety of herbs.

For that reason, Agus said that the Government has urged domestic industry to seek opportunities that could be developed during the current difficult condition as demands for those products are very high.

In terms of personal protective equipment (PPE), the Minister explained that the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) had cooperated with the API (Indonesian Textile Association) and the Center for Textiles under Ministry of Industry to produce PPE based on the WHO standards and around 16,000 PPE are expected to be produced every day.

Regarding ventilator, Agus pointed out that his Ministry has coordinated with four major ventilator producers, namely from University of Indonesia (UI), Yogya’s Gajah Mada University (UGM) which is collaborating with PT Yogya Presisi Tehnikatama Industry, PT. Stechoq, PT Swayasa Prakasa, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), and Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS).

“They have expressed willingness to produce both low-cost and high-grade ventilators starting April,” Agus said. (TGH/EN)

Translated by: Estu Widyamurti
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas