House, Health Ministry Bicker Over Fake Vaccine Revelation
Jakarta. The House of Representatives have called on the Health Ministry to come forward with the names of 14 health facilities in Indonesia which allegedly have been using fake vaccines, a move the latter has so far refused to make.
Lawmakers from the House's Commission IX, which oversees health and manpower affairs, made the call during a hearing on Wednesday (13/07) with officials from the Health Ministry.
The meeting came a day after the National Police revealed the results of their ongoing investigation into the fake vaccine case, which have found that 14 private hospitals in Java and Sumatra allegedly have been using the fake vaccines.
Lawmakers said the ministry's refusal to name the hospitals would only prolong public anxiety over the fake vaccine case, as earlier investigations had found that fake vaccines have been produced and sold in Indonesia for at least 13 years.
"I demand that the Health Ministry reveal the names of the hospitals today. We can't afford a cover-up in a case like this," said Saleh Partaonan Daulay, a member of Commission IX from the National Mandate Party (PAN), as quoted by Tempo.
However, Health Minister Nila Moeloek defended the ministry's decision, telling lawmakers that the ministry will corroborate the findings with the National Police's criminal investigations unit first.
The lawmakers eventually decided to postpone the hearing — during which they were scheduled to deliberate on the Health Ministry's budget for next year — until Thursday (14/07).
"Tomorrow will be better. We will announce the names together," Nila told CNN Indonesia.
The Health Ministry, the National Police and the Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency have formed a joint task force to investigate the fake vaccine distribution ring.
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