"During the Eid homecoming, the ministry will prepare all hospitals and community health centers (puskesmas) along the homecoming route to handle non-COVID-19 illness," Head of the ministry's Communication and Public Services Bureau Siti Nadia Tarmizi informed in Jakarta on Thursday.
She said that health services will be provided to travelers suffering from dizziness or high blood pressure. The health services will be integrated with the Transportation Ministry, National Police (Polri), and Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI).
However, COVID-19 handling services will still remain on alert mode in terms of ensuring the availability of beds for COVID-19 patients, PCR examinations, and drug availability, Tarmizi added.
"We will also prepare ventilators and oxygen. For now, we are not too worried because each hospital already has sufficient oxygen supply," she said.
She informed that the ministry will also continue to educate the public about taking the complete dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. Even though the pandemic is under control, people are still continuing to live side-by-side with the virus.
In addition, even though the second booster is not a mandatory homecoming requirement, the government is still asking the public to get booster shots without delay to protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly and people with comorbidities, Tarmizi added.
She emphasized that vaccination is still very effective in protecting all parties and preventing severe symptoms and death.
"Vaccination is not only for ourselves, but also to protect people who are at risk, such as vulnerable groups with kidney failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and others. They have a higher risk to be infected," she reminded.
Meanwhile, regarding the vaccination centers, Tarmizi informed that the ministry will provide them at every point. The local governments will provide vaccination centers in their respective regions since the vaccines have been distributed to puskesmas.
Vaccination centers will also be set up in rest areas where it is possible to provide COVID-19 vaccination services. In addition, the ministry is also planning to offer examinations for early detection of diabetes to hypertension, she informed.
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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma S, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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