TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spokesman for the national COVID-19 task force, Wiku Adisasmito, said that the government welcomed any research on the disease’s medicine and vaccine. However, he warned that no one should carelessly claim the cure without first passing clinical trials.

“Remember, it must be tested and have a permit to be distributed. It cannot be carelessly claimed, because this is about human life,” said Wiku in a video recording published via the BNPB Youtube channel on Tuesday, August 4, 2020.

According to him, a drug could not be proven to work and heal patients, as well as its side effects, without passing clinical trials. So those need to be accounted for before it could be distributed to the public.

Hadi Pranoto, a self-proclaimed microbiologist, recently stirred public uproar after claiming he had found a herbal remedy that is able to heal thousands of COVID-19 patients in Sumatra, Bali, and Kalimantan, as well as those treated in Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital.

Wiku argued that to date, the cure claimed by Hadi remained unclear whether it was herbal medicine, a standardized natural cure, phytopharmaca (clinical-based herbal medicine), or jamu (traditional herbal remedy), underlining that it was not officially registered.

Wiku mentioned that all lists of phytopharmaca and standardized herbal medicine could be openly accessed. He then called on the public to refer to the BPOM and the Health Ministry in selecting and consuming medicines or supplements.

Additionally, Wiku asked public figures to be more careful in circulating information so that they would not harm the public.

Read: Health Ministry Asserts No Country Succeeds in Producing COVID-19 Vaccine Yet

ACHMAD HAMUDI ASSEGAF