JAKARTA – The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marinves) as well as Deputy Chair of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed, the government provided 300 thousand packages of free therapeutic drugs for COVID-19 patients in the OTG category and with symptoms. mild who is undergoing self-isolation.
This was conveyed in a joint press statement, after attending a Limited Meeting on Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic chaired by the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Wednesday (12/07/2021), via video conference.
“The president has already decided, starting Wednesday this week we will launch 300 thousand drug packages,” he said.
The allocation of these packages is Package 1 for 10 percent of OTG patients, Package 2 for patients with symptoms of fever and loss of sense of smell or anosmia as much as 60 percent, and Package 3 for patients with symptoms of fever and cough as much as 30 percent.
“This drug package will reach almost 210,000 active cases that we provide. And this will continue for the next few months. This will be shared by the TNI together with other elements. The procedure has been prepared so that it can run,” said Luhut.
In addition, Luhut said, the government will also immediately provide social assistance in the form of rice to the community, which will be distributed by the TNI and Polri.
“The President’s order is not to let the people starve or not eat. So all the possible points for food shortages or rice shortages will be distributed by the TNI [and Polri] and will come into effect maybe this Wednesday, there are five kilograms [kg] and ten kg,” he said.
In his press statement, Luhut also said that the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory Hospital had operated to treat COVID-19 patients. In addition, the government has also prepared field hospitals in a number of areas in the country.
“In West Java in Bandung, in Semarang, to East Java, and Bali, we have also asked the TNI to open field hospitals, so that the number of these hospitals, especially the ICU, will be more and more fulfilled, so that it will reduce difficulties to get a bed,” he said.
The government also continues to ensure the availability of medicines and medical devices for handling COVID-19 patients.
“This drug was just lacking Remdesivir and Actemra. So Remdesivir and Actemra, and soon we and the Minister of Health will talk about licensing for Actemra so that we can produce it domestically. I think this is all going on,” said Luhut.
Regarding the fulfillment of oxygen needs, Luhut said, the government continues to organize and improve this through the cooperation of the Ministry of Health assisted by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing and the Ministry of SOEs. The government is also in the process of importing liquid oxygen.
“We have already imported 40 thousand tons of liquid oxygen for our future use. We are on guard even though we don’t really need that much, but if we look at world trends, developments in America, developments in England, where the trend is now increasing sharply, we better be on guard so that we are not caught by surprise,” he said.
In anticipating the increase in oxygen demand, the Coordinating Minister for Marinves added, the government is also preparing to import large quantities of oxygen concentrators.
“The president has agreed that we will import 50 thousand canisters of the oxygen concentrator. We now have maybe a few thousand, maybe close to 10 thousand, and we will distribute that to be used in mild cases,” he said.
Finally, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs also explained about the implementation of vaccination for the people of Indonesia. With vaccine stocks reaching 45 million doses this month, the government will continue to increase vaccination coverage, especially for marginal areas.
“We agreed to increase vaccinations, carried out by the TNI-Polri and also the health office [health service], directly to marginal areas. So in the outskirts of the city the team will directly inject there. I think it will start running within this week,” he said.
With all the handling efforts that have been carried out together with discipline from all components of society, Luhut hopes that the pandemic will be controlled soon.
“So I think with the implementation of vaccination, then PPKM was running simultaneously, and then medicine, oxygen, then also a bed, I see in the next 4-5 days the situation will improve,” he said.