Called RI-GHA, short for Republik Indonesia-Gadjah Mada Hepatika Airlangga, UGM and Airlangga University researchers developed the antibody test kits that are currently being mass produced at the UGM Science and Techno Park in Minomartani village of Sleman regency, Yogyakarta.

“This kit has undergone a long process and [many] improvements to reach the right formula,” the test kit’s principal researcher, Sofia Mubarika, said on Wednesday in a statement. Sofia was speaking at the ceremonial handover of 1,500 test kits to the Sleman Health Agency at the Puskesmas (community health center) Mlati II in Mlati district, Sleman.

She said the test kit was developed to meet the overwhelming demand for COVID-19 tests that were easy to use, accurate and could be produced domestically for the independence and resilience of Indonesia’s health system in managing the emergency.

Sofia said that the production and distribution of the RI-GHA were the researchers’ contributions in supporting the government’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

“I thank the Research and Technology Ministry for supporting this innovative product of the nation’s children, so it can be downstreamed to the people,” she said.

Among the health facilities to receive the test kits are: General Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Central Java (2,000 kits), Yogyakarta City Health Agency (1,500), Gunungkidul Health Agency, Yogyakarta (1,500), Kulon Progo Health Agency, Yogyakarta (1,500), Makassar City Health Agency, South Sulawesi (1,000), Muhammadiyah University of Malang, East Java (1,000), and the Malang Regency Health Agency (1,000).

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