Hadi noted that Galang Island previously had adequate healthcare facilities, making it a viable option. However, a reassessment may be necessary, as the condition of those facilities may have changed over the past two to three years.
In April 2020, the government opened an emergency COVID-19 hospital on Galang Island due to the island’s strategic location near Hang Nadim International Airport and its adequate access to electricity and water.
The complex, which can accommodate one thousand patients, was originally a camp for Vietnamese refugees. It was later renovated and adapted for COVID-19 treatment.
The hospital has three zones: accommodation for staff, an isolation and observation area, and a zone for follow-up care. The design aims to ensure proper isolation in case of a spike in patients, particularly migrant workers returning from overseas, Hadi explained.
The government will carefully study the initiative to transform the facility to serve Gazans, particularly in terms of infrastructure and logistics, before making a final decision.
President Prabowo Subianto has directed that two thousand Gazans affected by the armed conflict with Israel be provided medical care in Indonesia for a period of time.
He has tasked the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry with formulating the system and procedure for providing the medical aid.
The President has also expressed readiness to evacuate the first batch of one thousand Gaza residents, including the wounded, orphans, and those traumatized by the conflict with Israel.
Head of the Presidential Communications Office, Hasan Nasbi, recently clarified that the plan is a humanitarian initiative and not an attempt to relocate Gaza residents. Once the patients recover, they will be returned to the enclave.
Related news: Indonesia to treat 2,000 Gaza victims on Galang Island
Related news: Indonesia awaits Palestinian green light for Gaza evacuees on Galang
Translator: Andi Firdaus, Genta Tenri M, Mecca Yumna
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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