"(We have provided) self-isolation facilities in Jakarta for 100 patients, in Bogor City for 100 patients, in Bandung for 100 patients, in Yogyakarta for 100 patients, and Surabaya for 100 patients as well," Kartasasmita informed at the inauguration of the ministry's centralized self-isolation facility at the Industry Training Centre in Jakarta.
The move is in line with the instruction issued by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to Indonesian ministries for establishing self-isolation facilities to assist hospitals and other healthcare facilities that have been overwhelmed by the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, he said.
"To assist the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, every ministry and national institution is expected to establish self-isolation points by utilizing spare facilities, such as unused buildings or training centers," he added.
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In accordance with the BNPB instruction, the Industry Ministry will set up makeshift self-isolation facilities at the Industry Training Centre in Jakarta, the ministry's guest house in Puncak, Bogor, Textile Technology Polytechnic in Bandung, and Industry Training Centre in Yogyakarta, he informed.
The facilities can be used by ministry employees, their families, or even residents living near them, he said. Adequate isolation rooms, doctors' and nurses' support, and medicines will be provided at the self-isolation facilities, he added.
"Early treatment for COVID-19 patients could also be performed in our self-isolation facilities to prevent the patient's deterioration," he remarked.
The isolation facilities have been equipped with a total of 300 oxygen concentrators to accommodate COVID-19 patients' needs, he informed. The ministry has also ensured the facilities are located close to hospitals, so that patients can be immediately taken to the hospital, if needed, he said.
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"Besides centralized isolation facilities, the ministry is also encouraging factories, primarily industries owning oxygen generator installations, to establish common oxygen supply facilities. We hope the oxygen supply facilities can be placed close to the self-isolation facilities," Kartasasmita remarked.
The minister also lauded parties who have collaborated with the ministry to set up the self-isolation facilities.
"We express our appreciation for the BNPB, the military, and the police, as well as the regional government," he said.
Meanwhile, secretary general of the Ministry of Industry, Dody Widodo, said residents seeking to self-isolate at the ministry's facilities will need to contact their local authorities and provide their latest PCR swab tests showing a positive result prior to their stay.
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"After (a patient) notifies (the authority) and (the positive diagnosis) is verified, the local authority will direct (the patient) to the ministry's self-isolation facility," Widodo explained.
Industry Human Resource Development Agency (BPSDMI) head Arus Gunawan expressed his readiness to convert his institution's vocational school buildings into makeshift self-isolation sites.
"We can use empty classrooms as self-isolation points. Today, classrooms have been left unused due to the pandemic as the school has implemented a distance-learning system," he said.
Besides preparing self-isolation facilities, the Ministry of Industry said it is also collaborating with industry associations to organize vaccination drives from July until October, 2021. The drives will target five million industry and manufacturer workers in Java and Bali, it added.
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Translator: Sella PG, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
