'No price hike for medicines'

BANDUNG: Health Minister Achmad Sujudi said on Saturday the government had not considered price hikes for generic medicines and would maintain the Rp 500 billion subsidy for the drug.

"Poor people depend much on these medicines. It's impossible for the government to pull out the subsidy," he said.

He also said that since the country was also rich in herbs and traditional medicine, people should be encouraged to utilize them.

"We might enact a policy in which doctors can prescribe traditional medicines for their patients, but of course they must be properly tested first," Achmad said. (25/edt)