The local government must start to prepare mitigation for Extraordinary Events (KLB) and disaster mitigation that might occur during the holidaysJakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Health Ministry issued a Circular Letter regarding preparedness for the 2022 Christmas and 2023 New Year holidays addressed to all local governments in Indonesia.
"Given that the 2022 Christmas and 2023 New Year holidays are still in the pandemic situation, health sector preparedness is needed as an effort to prevent and control the COVID-19 disease," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated here, Tuesday.
The minister noted that the provision of health services during the community movement for the holidays included treating daily illnesses, travel-related illnesses, health mitigation for traffic accidents, and conducting health surveillance to anticipate potential extraordinary events.
Circular letter number K.02.02/II/3984/2022, issued on December 18, 2022, aims to increase preparedness and coordination across programs and sectors in handling community movement during the Christmas and New Year holidays in the midst of a pandemic situation and the potential for diseases that can cause extraordinary incidents.
To this end, the Ministry of Health urged local governments to immediately form a Health Organizing Team as a forum to improve work networks and anticipate any disturbance during the holidays.
The team comprises elements of related agencies in the district and city and elements of health workers as providers of health services, emergency services, and medical evacuation during holidays.
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Local governments should also organize health posts that are located close to posts provided by the police and transportation services, including in tourist areas and locations that are prone to accidents.
Moreover, local health service facilities, especially community health centers (puskesmas) and hospitals on the main routes that are passed by the community, health posts, and Public Safety Center (PSC) 119, must also be readied to anticipate emergency cases, accident cases, and other disease cases as well as COVID-19 referral hospitals in order to anticipate an increase in cases due to community movement.
The circular also obliged the regional government to prepare COVID-19 vaccination posts to accommodate travelers, especially at terminals, stations, airports, ports, places of worship, and health posts at tourist attractions, as well as health service facilities.
Regional governments are also urged to conduct cross-sectoral coordination to conduct testing, tracing, and treatment for travelers, including providing isolation places when positive cases of COVID-19 are found.
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The circular stated that domestic travelers falling in the category of children aged 6-12 years that have not been vaccinated must have a letter of confirmation from the health service explaining their condition and must be accompanied by parents or adults, who have received complete vaccinations -- vaccine 1, vaccine 2, and booster 1 -- during the trip.
Parents, or accompanying adults, who have not received complete vaccinations due to health reasons must bring a confirmation certificate from the doctor in accordance with the provisions of the health protocol for travelers.
The Ministry of Health also urged local governments to conduct health checks for early detection of risk factors for accidents in Inter-City Inter-Provincial Bus (AKAP) drivers at bus terminals and departure pools conducted by a health team from the district and city health service.
"The local government must start to prepare mitigation for Extraordinary Events (KLB) and disaster mitigation that might occur during the holidays," the minister noted.
Lastly, health workers in the regions are urged to input data on health facilities and reports on the implementation of health services for the 2022 Christmas and 2023 New Year celebrations via https://link.kemkes.go.id/kesiapsiagaanfasyankesnatal2022tahunbaru2023.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
