The Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing of Universitas Gadjah Mada having a collaboration with the Sleman Regency Health Office and the Sleman Regency Government to conduct a Covid-19 screening activity for the workers of Community Health Centers in Sleman Regency. The Covid-19 screening or rapid detection activity uses the RI-GHA Covid-19 RDT by a joint team of UGM FKKMK researchers, Mataram Hepatic Laboratory, West Nusa Tenggara and Airlangga University, Surabaya.
The opening of Covid-19 screening activities for the health workers took place at the Community Health Center of II Mlati, Sleman. There is attendance from Drs. H. Sri Purnomo, M.Sc, as Sleman Regent, drg. Ika Dewi Ana, M. Kes., Ph.D., as the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Community Service, and Prof. dr. Ova Emilia, M.Med.Ed., SpOG (K)., Ph.D., as Dean of FKKMK, and the research team.
This rapid detection at the Community Health Cares aims to find out the Covid-19 health status of workers. This action proposes to free health center facilities from stigma. Besides it also proposes to ensure the safety of services for the general public. Therefore, this must be sustainably conducted so that the community can use the required health service facilities.
According to the plan, there will be 25 Community Health Centers in Sleman which would conduct the implementation of rapid tests for health workers using RDT-GHA Covid-19. This decision is based on consideration of the Covid-19 case development in Indonesia and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in order to lessen the people’s fear to access health services.
Dean of FKKMK, Prof. dr. Ova Emilia, M.Med.Ed., SpOG (K)., Ph.D., said that the Covid-19 outbreak gave its attainment, one of which is it spurred people to think innovatively how to help themselves.
“There are many innovations emerged in the limited situation of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, one of which was a tool developed by the UGM FKKMK team, Airlangga and Mataram University, namely a rapid test tool named GHA Covid-19. It is an acronym from Gadjah Mada Hematika Airlangga. This rapid test was developed jointly with Indonesian children,” she said, at the Mlati II Health Center on Thursday (6/18).
She hopes that by examining this tool to health workers at the Community Health Centers, they will get health insurance and will also know their status that they are safe. Thus, this affects the public’s perspective for no longer worried about attending health centers.
The Regent of Sleman, Drs. H. Sri Purnomo, M.Sc., welcomed the implementation of the rapid test for health workers at the Community Health Centers in Sleman. He hopes that the researcher can reproduce RDT-GHA Covid-19 rapid test tool based on WHO standards.
This tool is very affordable and accessible. Besides, using a simpler tool expected many people in Yogyakarta and Indonesia can do rapid tests so that they will know their status whether they are reactive or not to Covid-19 towards New Normal.
“Covid-19 is around us and there is no need to be afraid to work and run the economy when we know how to prevent it. Surely, such methods provide security for parents who send their children to school in Yogyakarta because soon we will welcome new students,” he said.
Deputy Chancellor for Research and Community Service, drg. Ika Dewi Ana, M. Kes., Ph.D., expressed her gratitude to researchers for their hard work to research this tool amid a period of maximum restriction.
“Thank you to the Regent of Sleman and staff who are willing to work together in implementing the results of research from UGM,” she said.
RI-GHA COVID-19 is an antibody-based early detection device. The advantage of the rapid test tool for Covid-19 is it delivers quick results in just 15 minutes. Moreover, it is also specific and easy to use. Production costs are affordable and in the long run, RI-GHA COVID-19 can support monitoring of Covid-19 developments in Indonesia such as for contact tracing and surveillance efforts.
Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK) UGM, Prof. Sofia Mubarika Haryana., as one of the researchers, said that the creation of an innovative Covid-19 rapid diagnostic test (RDT) based on antibodies to detect IgM and IgG produced by the body against Covid-19.
“Aside from screening, GHA COVID-19 can also be used to monitor OTG, ODP, PDP, or post-infection. Besides it has a low cost, this rapid diagnostic test has the benefit of being able to detect 5-10 minutes fast, easy, practical, high sensitivity, and very specific,” she explained.
She said that some of the materials still imported with a ratio of 50:50, thus, this rapid test was much cheaper. She hopes that with the existence of RI-GHA Covid-19 in Community Health Centers could help more patients with quick action.
“Originally we produce 10 thousand. Well, we intend to increase the production, and the Ministry of Health has ordered 2 million,” she added.
Several other researchers involved in developing the RI-GHA COVID-19 are Prof. dr. Tri Wibawa as a virologist and FK-KMK UGM Professor, Prof. Mulyanto as FK-KMK UGM Alumni who is also a researcher of the Mataram Hepatic Laboratory, West Nusa Tenggara, Prof. Dr. drh. Fedik Abdul Rantam as a Virologist and Prof. Cita Rosita Sigit Prakoeswa as a Professor of Airlangga University, Surabaya.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photo: Firsto
Translator: Natasa A