"The first strategy is surveillance. How we know where the enemy is and where they are moving. In the past, they tracked them using interrogation techniques, but now, they employ testing and tracing techniques," Sadikin explained here on Thursday.
Based on the Health Ministry's computations, 30 tracers per 100 thousand people are required for the tracing process, and they must be deployed in every village. Hence, Indonesia needs a total of 80 thousand tracers in accordance with its plan to vaccinate some 181 million people.
"For Indonesia’s population, approximately 80 thousand tracers are required across all villages. We do not have such apparatus, and only the Police and the TNI (military) have it," he pointed out.
After tracking the virus, the second strategy to win the war against the COVID-19 pandemic is to conduct vaccination to defeat the virus.
"How do we kill it? We kill it with the vaccine. Now, this vaccine must be given to 181 million Indonesians," he stated.
If each person is to be administered the vaccine twice, then a total of 362 million injections will be required.
"If Mr. President asks (that the vaccination program be completed in) one year, then it means that one day we will have to inject one million. In that case, it is impossible for us to do it on our own. Once again, this is a war, and we have to kill the enemy, for which we need assistance from the police and TNI (military) officers," the health minister stated.
The Indonesian National Police affirmed the readiness of trained police personnel to be deployed as COVID-19 vaccinators and tracers.
Currently, the National Police has prepared 13,500 health personnel. Of the total, 900 people have been trained as vaccinators by the Health Ministry.
"Some 12,600 other personnel will be offered similar training in the near future," National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo stated.
Furthermore, some 40 thousand police personnel will be deployed as tracers throughout the region, Prabowo remarked.
"As an early detection step, the National Police has also readied 40,336 personnel of the Bhabinkatibmas (community police officers) in all regions to serve as tracers as a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus," the National Police chief stated. Related news: 539,532 healthcare workers given COVID shots so far
Related news: Govt's economic recovery strategy hinges on vaccination, budget
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Fianda SR, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
