Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Health, Dante Saksono Harbuwono, has said that the Health Bill is crucial for the resilient development of pharmaceutical and medical device industries in Indonesia in the future.
"This bill aims to improve the already established (regulations) in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. It will become the foundation for carrying out health development in the future through a health transformation program," he remarked at a public hearing on the bill here on Monday.
The main goal of the development of the bill is to ensure that the demands for pharmaceutical and medical devices can always be met, he added. Hence, the deputy minister invited all stakeholders to provide inputs on the Health Bill during the public hearing to increase the independence of the national pharmaceutical and medical device industry.
"We will solve the existing problems (of the domestic pharmaceutical and medical device industry) together, such as dependence on imported raw materials as well as difficulties in the implementation of research and development of drugs and medical devices," he said.
According to the Health Ministry’s data, 90 percent of raw materials for domestic pharmaceutical production are still imported. In addition, 88 percent of medical devices procured through the Government Goods and Services Procurement Policy Agency’s (LKPP’s) e-catalogues in 2019–2020 were imported.
The ministry further noted that the government only used 0.2 percent of the total gross domestic product (GDP) to conduct research and development activities, which was relatively low compared to the United States (2.8 percent) and Singapore (1.9 percent).
Furthermore, the number of clinical trials carried out in Indonesia was just 7.6 percent of the total clinical trials implemented in all ASEAN member countries. The number of clinical trials conducted in Indonesia was 787, lower than in Thailand (3,053 trials) and Singapore (2,893 trials).
Baca juga: Cath lab necessary interventional measure in heart disease
Baca juga: Optimistic of no COVID spike during Christmas holidays
The Health Bill also seeks to respond to national needs for dealing with emergencies and uncertain access to pharmaceutical products and medical devices experienced by various countries, including Indonesia, as well as anticipating an increase in disease and pandemic intervals.
In the bill, the government has proposed additional regulatory substances regarding standard policies, systems, and the management of pharmaceutical products and medical devices during outbreaks, epidemics, and disasters to help the country become resilient in all situations, including in accessing pharmaceutical products and medical devices at the global level. (INE)
