Following The President's Directives, The TNI Immediately Builds Isolation Shelters For Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients

Yogyakarta City BPBD officers show the COVID-19 shelter room at Rusunawa Bener, Tegelrejo, Yogyakarta, Friday (18/9/2020). (BETWEEN PHOTOS/Hendra Nurdiyansyah/pras.)

JAKARTA - In order to meet the need for isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients, the TNI will build isolation facilities for patients who are asymptomatic and have mild symptoms. This was confirmed by the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) Dedy Permadi.

"Under the direction of President Joko Widodo, the TNI will assist in handling COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms," he said in an emergency PPKM daily press statement, Saturday.

Dedy said the Emergency PPKM Coordinator of the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan directed the TNI Operations Assistant to collect data on positive cases. The data will be the basis for establishing a shelter or a place of care.

"The determination of the location of the shelter will be carried out with the Ministry of Health to avoid overlapping with the efforts that have been made by the Puskesmas," he added.

Dedy added that the handling of COVID-19 patients by the TNI will be supported by additional doctors and health workers who are currently in education in addition to the existing doctors and health workers.

The TNI, he continued, was also asked to distribute drug packages that had been provided by the Ministry of SOEs.

"The Emergency PPKM Coordinator also gave directions to the TNI and Polri to map out opportunities for additional treatment centers for both self-isolation and intensive care throughout Java-Bali and outside Java-Bali," he said.

Dedy hopes that the entire Military Command (Kodam) and its staff will provide the option of adding a hospital immediately.

The Ministry of Health and the Covid-19 Handling Task Force at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) will support the provision of goods or medical equipment needed.

"The government's target is that isolation rooms and intensive care rooms throughout Java and Bali will be increased by 40 percent from their previous capacity," he said.