To increase the number of COVID-19 samples examined, the capacity of laboratories needs to be optimized.
By
DEONISIA ARLINTA GRACECA DEWI
·4 minutes read
Kompas/AGUS SUSANTO
A woman underwent a test with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method or a swab test in the operation of the Mobile Laboratory Biosafety Level (Lab BSL-2) at the courtyard of Moh Ridwan Meuraksa Hospital. East Jakarta, on Tuesday (16/6/2020).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — MTo increase the number of COVID-19 samples examined, the capacity of laboratories needs to be optimized. Besides setting a price ceiling for COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the country must also improve tracing, sample delivery and reporting of specimen examination results.
Indonesian Public Health Experts Association (IAKMI) chairman Ede Surya Darmawan said in Jakarta on Wednesday (7/10/2020) that the capacity of laboratories across the country had yet to be optimized. With a total 376 laboratories designated for COVID-19 testing, the number of samples examined per day should be greater than what is currently reported.
“The number of tests may not be optimal because tracing is not yet large-scale. Moreover, daily reports are yet to be completed. Every day, there are reports saying that laboratories have yet to report their PCR test results. Such an issue might be due to [faults] in administrative matters or the transportation of samples,” he said.
Based on the national COVID-19 task force’s report on Oct. 7, 32,167 people were tested. Of that number, 4,538 test results came back positive. Of the 376 laboratories that have conducted the testing, 88 have yet to report their PCR test results.
It is therefore necessary to expand laboratories’ testing capacity to more regions as well as address administrative and reporting constraints, so that the reporting process can improved and, thus, interventions can be more on target.
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
A medical officer prepares a polymerase chain reaction or PCR test kit to detect Covid-at Pondok Indah Hospital (RSPI) Bintaro, South Tangerang, Banten, on Saturday (19/9/2020).
Waiting time
Zubairi Djoerban, head of the Indonesian Doctors Association’s coronavirus task force, added that the lengthy waiting time for one to find out their PCR test result should also be considered. A test result reported today could be the result of a test conducted last week, and that long waiting time will cause a delay in treatment.
“Testing must be conducted on a larger scale. The more people tested, the better, even though it will increase the number of positive cases. But that also means that isolation can be conducted sooner, thus cutting off the transmission of the virus,” he said.
According to Zubairi, if two months ago President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had targeted to test 30,000 people per day, the number should have increased to 50,000 by now. However, the daily target of 30,000 has yet to be achieved consistently.
Moreover, the country’s positivity rate – the percentage of COVID-19 tests that return a positive result – stands high at 14.5 percent, above the figure recommended by the World Health Organization for relaxation of restrictions, which is 5 percent or below.
“Efforts to conduct massive tracing are key to handling the pandemic. Don’t let the focus on vaccine development rule out basic handling,” Zubairi said.
WANG ZHAO/AFP
An engineer works in the general laboratory during a media tour of a new factory built to produce a COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at Sinovac, one of 11 Chinese companies approved to carry out clinical trials of potential coronavirus vaccines, in Beijing on September 24, 2020.
The Health Ministry’s head of the COVID-19 task force, Daniel Tjen, who also serves an expert staff member to the health minister, said the country had to establish more laboratory networks so that COVID-19 tests could be evenly distributed and thus would reduce the lengthy waiting times. “We need to speed up [testing] so the disease can be detected as early as possible,” he said during a work visit to Denpasar, Bali.
Be more proactive
Laboratories should also be more proactive in examining more specimens and testing more people so that case tracing can be improved. Furthermore, the mortality rate must be decreased, thus increasing recovery rate.
A professor from the University of Indonesia’s Department of Internal Medicine stated that the reinstatement of stricter large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in Jakarta had clearly helped decrease the number of COVID-19 patients in the city. Furthermore, the city’s recovery rate has also increased along with improvements to medical workers’ capacity in diagnosing the disease.
The government has asked all health facility providers to set the fee for individually requested COVID-19 swab tests at a maximum of Rp 900,000.
Meanwhile, some people still object to the government-determined Rp 900,000 price ceiling for individually requested COVID-19 swab tests, while some others have complained that there were parties that charged more than the set price, which is determined under Health Ministerial Circular No. HK.02.02/I/3713/2020 issued on Oct. 5. The government has asked all health facility providers to set the fee for individually requested COVID-19 swab tests at a maximum of Rp 900,000.
Abu Athifah, a 30 year-old Bekasi resident, said that the Rp 900,000 price was much cheaper than the price he was quoted for a PCR test in August, which was Rp 1.5 million. Even though the price is now cheaper, it is still not affordable for his family. Abu, therefore, decided to take a rapid antibody test that costs Rp 150,000, despite providing less accurate results.
COVID-19 task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito asserted that all COVID-19 patients’ expenses were borne by the government. (EVY/DIV)
