Throughout the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the government gave appreciation to several UGM researcher's innovation findings of medical devices. This appreciation is provided to the particular number of medical device innovations in the way of tackling Covid-19, including a swab room equipped with a Hepa Filter, a body temperature meter with a face scanner, VTM, RI-GHA Rapid Test, and a ventilator.
"UGM innovation that has an economic cost hopefully can provide a sense of safety and comfort within the community, mainly for economic activities with dense crowds such as markets, shopping centers and tourist attractions in order to boost the community financially and hope that the Indonesian economy will soon gradually revive," he said. Dr. Ir. Airlangga Hartarto, MBA., MMT., IPU, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, as the keynote speaker at the GeNose Peel, Ventilator, RI-GHA Rapid Test, and VTM as the innovations of Universitas Gadjah Mada, online on Sunday afternoon (31 / 1).
As a UGM alumnus, Airlangga is very proud of UGM academicians' enthusiasm and hard work in creating innovations in medical devices during the Covid-19 pandemic. The various products designed were non-invasive products, which are also affordable, fast, and have high reliability, including the GeNose tool.
Airlangga said the Covid-19 pandemic had a huge impact on health and economic viewpoints. The number of people infected with this virus reaches up to tens of millions people, and millions of them died as the worst result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to his perspective, loosening of lockdown was too risky to increase daily cases, especially in the US and Europe. Accordingly, the recovery of the future economy seemed to be a challenge in line with handling the Covid-19 transmission.
He also added that Indonesia was attempting to balance the handling of health and the economy. Indonesia is enlisted in a group of countries with the "best possible situation", where health and economic management can go hand in hand.
"Not losing one another and marked by a controlled mortality rate and the last GDP contraction in Q3-2020, which was not too low," he added.
Thoroughly making discoveries on UGM innovative medical devices and their downstream in preventing Covid-19 in Indonesia is a synergy program between UGM and Kagama V, which raises the theme entitled UGM Contribution in Tackling Covid-19 through the Discovery of Medical Devices. There were also several researchers with their findings invited. Some researchers are Prof. Drs. Kuwat Triyono, M.Si., Ph.D. as a GeNose researcher, Dr. Andhika Widyaparaga, S.T., M. Biomed, as a ventilator researcher, Apt. Ika Puspita Sari, as a researcher of Viral Transport Medium, and Prof. Dr. Sofia Mubarika, M.Med.Sc., Ph.D., as a researcher of the RI-GHA Rapid Test.
The Head of PP Kagama and the Governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo, SH., MIP, also conveyed similar appreciation. According to him, it was a remarkable unique spirit for UGM to innovate medical devices to handle Covid-19.
"This is a very typical character for showing Bulaksumur people with dedication, humanity, and sincerely," he said.
As a matter of fact, in several moments in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, some people tended to be capitalists, for example, the phenomenon of mask scarcity and the high price of selling at the beginning of the pandemic. Back then, when we were also busy doing rapid tests, and almost all parties sold anything.
"It seems that the pandemic has become a new business ground, and even appeared abrupt epidemiologists, pharmacologists who claimed to be able to overcome all of this situation. So, thanks to UGM, this pandemic is a turning point for us to leap. For instance, GeNose will not substitute PCR, but this could be a significant revolution to respond to this pandemic and stop us from importing dependence to save the nation and humanity," he explained.
On the other hand, Prof. Dr. Sofia Mubarika, M.Med.Sc., Ph.D., as a RI-GHA Rapid Test researcher, stated that at the beginning of the pandemic, people highly needed a diagnostic test. A diagnostic test becomes a crucial thing that people must have because people did not have diagnostic tests for Covid-19 back then.
"Thus, the team had to develop a rapid diagnostic test kit because there was a very crucial momentum. Additionally, there were also so many import tools with various prices back then," he said.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Translator: Natasa A