Gov’t Strives to Secure Oxygen Supply, Increase Hospital Capacity for COVID-19 Patients

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister of Health Budi G. Sadikin, and Head of COVID-19 Handling Task ForceGanip Warsito deliver press statement after a limited meeting, held online on Tuesday (6/7). (Photo by: PR/Agung)

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitanhas ensured that the Government is striving to handle a hike in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.

“We have mustered our strength and resources. We also have simulated worst case scenarios and calculated oxygen and medicine supplies at hospitals if the confirmed cases significantly jump to more than 40,000,” Luhut said after joining a limited meeting on the handling of COVID-19 pandemic, held online on Tuesday (6/7).

The Government, he added, has secured oxygen supply from various regions such as Morowali, Cilegon, and Batam during the past few days. In addition, the Government will also divert industrial oxygen for medical uses and source oxygen supply from other countries, including from Singapore.

“We have secured 10,000 (cylinders) from Singapore which some of it has been transported on Hercules aircraft. If it is deemed necessary, we will source (oxygen cylinders) from other countries,” he firmly said.

He went on to say that the Government will increase capacity of hospitals and isolation facilities by turning hajj dormitories into self-isolation centers including hajj dormitory in Pondok Gede.

“Yesterday, the President visited the dorm. The facility will be ready in the next couple of days and it will be ready to accommodate 800 patients on Thursday,” he stated adding that joint teams from the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) and Indonesian National Police (Polri) has also opened emergency hospitals in a number of locations in Jakarta and Surabaya.

Luhut added that the Government has also provided packages of medicine for COVID-19 patients in self-isolation. He also urged all patients be it asymptomatic patients and those showing mild symptoms to do self-isolation.

On that occasion, the Minister affirmed that the Government will continue to monitor development of COVID-19 cases in the islands of Java and Bali through Emergency Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM Darurat), and also in other regions.

“The Government also monitors development of COVID-19 outside Java since it started to show an increase” he firmly said. (DND/UN) (RAS/LW)