Jokowi Reveals Country's 'Serious Weaknesses' amid the Pandemic in MPR Speech
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16 August 2021 11:12 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday admitted that medicine industry, vaccine, and healthcare equipment independence remains as one of the country’s weaknesses in handling the current pandemic.
“The independence in drug industries, vaccine, and healthcare equipment remains to be a serious weakness we must solve,” the President said in Monday’s annual People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) meeting.
However, Jokowi said the pandemic has accelerated the development of the domestic pharmaceutical industry, which includes the development of homegrown Covid-19 vaccine touted as the merah-putih vaccine and medical oxygen supplies.
He assures the availability and accessibility of medicines will be guaranteed and will not tolerate “any individual who exploits this national humanitarian mission.”
“The dedication and hard work from doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers are amazing [and I’m proud of them],” said Jokowi.
Read: President Jokowi's MPR Speech Acknowledges Covid-19 Exhaustion
CAESAR AKBAR
