Jakarta (ANTARA) - COVID-19 Mitigation Acceleration Task Force Head Doni Monardo emphasized that local general hospitals (RSUD) nationwide encountering a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other healthcare equipment can notify their respective province’s health offices.

In response, the health office will contact the Task Force to get the equipment, Monardo told ANTARA here on Saturday.

"Local hospitals should bring to the notice of the provincial health office any problems, such as a shortage of PPE. The health office will thereafter contact the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling," he remarked.

Monardo, concurrently head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), stated that the task force had established a special team with the support of the Indonesian Military (TNI) to distribute the healthcare equipment to all regions in the country.

"The COVID-19 task force has a special unit that handles the distribution of health equipment to all provinces' capital city. The team is led by the Deputy Assistant Operation of the Indonesian Military Chief Air Commodore Jorry Koloay," he revealed.

Monardo made assurance that the Indonesian Military will ready means of air transportation to distribute health equipment to the destination location within a day. Furthermore, the local head of the COVID-19 task force will distribute the equipment to hospitals in districts.

Monardo highlighted that the Task Force had prioritized the need of PPE for medical workers on the forefront in the fight against coronavirus.

"We are deeply concerned about medical workers on the frontline, as they are the heroes of humanity, the real heroes," he emphasized.

"The task force does not want to see medical workers become the victims (of coronavirus) due to a shortage of PPE," he stated.

The task force has, until now, distributed 650 thousand sets of hazmat suits to all regions across Indonesia.

"Jakarta, for instance, has received 121,950 PPE; West Java, 62 thousand; and Central and East Java, 40 thousand respectively. All provinces in Indonesia have received the PPE," Monardo remarked.



Translator: Anita Permata Dewi, Sri Haryat
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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