Indonesia Launches First Locally-Made Ventilator as Nation Struggles to Cut Reliance on Imported Medical Equipment
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CIKARANG, WEST JAVA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia has launched its first domestically manufactured ventilator, a symbolic but crucial step in the country’s broader push to reduce its reliance on imported medical equipment and build a more resilient healthcare system.
Developed jointly by PT PHC Indonesia and Germany-based Drager, the Savina 300 ID ventilator was unveiled on Thursday, June 19, in Cikarang, West Java. The launch was attended by officials from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) and the Ministry of Industry, who lauded the collaboration as a model for future public-private partnerships in medical innovation.
“Through efforts like these, we aim to achieve stronger and more sustainable self-sufficiency in the medical device sector,” said Lucia Rizka Andalucia, Director General of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices at the Health Ministry, during the ceremony. She emphasized that boosting domestic production is essential not just to improve access to health services, but also to accelerate the availability of safe, innovative, and high-quality technologies across the country.
The milestone comes at a time when Indonesia continues to grapple with a heavy dependency on imported medical tools. According to government data, only 20%—around 16,000 out of 56,000 types—of medical devices available in the country are produced locally. The remaining 80% are still sourced from abroad, a vulnerability that was starkly exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ventilator category, in particular, highlights this gap. In 2024 alone, Indonesia imported $68.4 million worth of ventilators—more than double the previous year’s figure—placing the device among the top ten most-imported medical tools. With rising population, expanding health facilities, and increasingly complex epidemiological trends, demand for such equipment is only expected to grow.
“This is not just about supporting our national healthcare system, but also about advancing Indonesia’s industrial capabilities,” said Deputy Minister of Industry Faisol Riza. He noted that medical devices are not only essential for public health but also form part of the broader machinery sector, making their development critical to Indonesia’s economic and technological progress.
Despite low production capacity, local absorption of domestically made medical equipment has been growing. Government procurement data from the National Public Procurement Agency (LKPP) show that between 2019 and 2024, the share of locally produced medical equipment in public tenders increased from 19% to 48%. The Health Ministry attributes this improvement to consistent monitoring and coordination with LKPP, as well as to government mandates that prioritize local products.
Still, challenges persist. Indonesia has only 800 registered medical device manufacturers and about 5,600 distributors. Without stronger policy incentives, investment, and industrial partnerships, the country’s ambitions for health technology independence remain constrained.
For the Health Ministry, the Savina 300 ID serves as proof that it is possible to produce complex, high-tech equipment domestically. Officials hope that such examples will catalyze further investment and innovation, ultimately enabling all hospitals in the country to be equipped with high-quality tools made in Indonesia.
“Our goal is to ensure that hospitals across the nation are equipped with medical devices that are both high-quality and produced by Indonesians,” said Lucia. “This ventilator is just the beginning.”