Startups, venture capitalists, celebrities, and volunteers have come together, regardless of individual interests
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Startups, investors, and volunteers have joined hands through the 'Oxygen for Indonesia' movement for ensuring oxygen supply for COVID-19 patients in the country.

Through the movement, companies and groups such as Ventura East Ventures, WargaBantuWarga (people help people) volunteers movement, and Indonesia Pasti Bisa, are targeting to collect up to US$10 million to buy oxygen concentrators for COVID-19 hospitals.

"On WargaBantuWarga (COVID support) hotline, everyday our volunteers are faced with hopelessness from people for oxygen. The Health Minister has also said that the oxygen supply problem is a national issue," Aldi Haryopratomo, a volunteer for WargaBantuWarga said here on Friday.

"Startups, venture capitalists, celebrities, and volunteers have come together, regardless of individual interests. In just five days, the funds collected were enough to order a thousand concentrators ready to be sent to hospitals. Oxygen is an important issue today, but the fight against COVID-19 is far from over," Haryopratomo said.

The 'Oxygen For Indonesia' coalition is targeting to provide 10 thousand oxygen concentrators that will be distributed to at least 1,500 hospitals nationwide for 30 thousand COVID-19 patients in the short term, and 7 million patients in the long term, he said.

The coalition is coordinating its efforts with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment and the Health Ministry, he added.

Apart from raising funds from corporations and the public, members of the coalition have also formed teams for the upstream to downstream process as a whole, he informed.

For example, one team is focusing on procurement and imports, another team on units' allocation to hospitals, and yet another team on the verification process and a hotline for those using the donated equipment.

Startup enterprises with experience in allocating oxygen concentrators under the Indonesia Pasti Bisa, will be backed by volunteers from WargaBantuWarga.com and other startups in the 'Oxygen for Indonesia' coalition, Haryopratomo said.

To meet the funding target, the movement is being promoted in both Indonesia and overseas, he added.

Local and regional venture capital firms are using their networks to help achieve the target. They include East Ventures, Sequoia India, Intudo, Goventures, Golden Gate Ventures, AC Ventures, Jungle Ventures, Asia Partners, Monk's Hill Ventures, and Open Space Ventures, he informed.

Startups that have joined the movement include Kitabisa, Pluang, Mapan, BukuWarung, Halodoc, TokoCrypto, Payfazz, Advotics, eFishery, Waresix, KAYA.ID, Bibit, Flip, and Bonza, he added.

"One week after this movement started, we sent the first 200 oxygen concentrators to 33 hospitals in 10 provinces in a transparent manner, the next 800 oxygen concentrators will be sent in the near future," East Ventures Founding Partner Willson Weather said.

He said he expects more good tidings, such as news of recoveries, for Indonesians after the efforts put in by COVID-19-handling movements.

The coalition is open to anyone who wants to raise funds to bring oxygen to Indonesia, he added.

Donations for the general public and institutions will open from Friday through the platforms kitabisa.com, gofundme.com, and YCAB foundation, an Indonesian non-profit organization with representatives in the United States, he informed.

Further information can be accessed on https://oxygenforindonesia.com/. The latest updates from the movement will be available on the Instagram handle @oxygenforindonesia and Twitter handle @OxygenForINA.esia.

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Translator: Livia K, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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