Minister to support plasma downstreaming for RI health resilience

 Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has pledged government support for the commercialization of Indonesia's first plasma fractionation factory through strategic partnerships in a bid to strengthen national health resilience and pharmaceutical downstreaming.

Sadikin said here on Thursday that the government consistently supports both upstream and downstream segments of the plasma industry through regulations aimed at strengthening the supply side in national plasma centers to ensure a steady flow of raw materials.

"We certainly fully support and seek the best method to structure this collaboration well. The government can initiate by integrating with institutions such as Danantara, or synergy with pharmaceutical state-owned enterprises like Bio Farma," he explained.

He expressed hope that the strategic partnership through the government's ecosystem would ensure that the downstreaming effort leads to optimal results, thereby benefiting the public.

Moreover, he stated that his administration is preparing a roadmap for the development of healthcare services in Indonesia, covering the next 5, 15, and 30 years, encompassing several sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, hospitals, and medical devices.

The minister is confident that national health system resilience can become robust if the plasma factory can be quickly established, just like SKPlasma Core Indonesia, to increase raw materials production for local medicine, vaccines, and other innovative products.

On the same occasion, President Director of SKPlasma Core Indonesia Hyunho Roh reaffirmed the company's commitment to pursue next steps, including the development of a plasma bank in Indonesia and further pharmaceutical research.

"We are very grateful for the attention and continuous support from the Health Ministry. When we first came to the Health Ministry for a business permit, we promised to build a plasma fractionation factory within two years," Roh said.

Within two years, the factory is completed, and his company is currently awaiting the commercialization process.

He expressed a commitment to collaborate with Indonesia in collecting plasma through a plasma bank, developing the pharmaceutical industry, and vaccines.