Conglomerate Sukanto Tanoto Donates 3,000 Oxygen Concentrator Units, Minister Of Health Budi: Thank You, This Is Very Means

Tanoto Foundation donated 3,000 oxygen concentrators. Photo: Doc. Between)

JAKARTA - The Tanoto Foundation, an independent philanthropic organization owned by conglomerate Sukanto Tanoto, symbolically handed over 3,000 units of oxygen concentrators to the Minister of Health, Budi G Sadikin, at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Banten, Tuesday evening, August 3.

When receiving this donation in person, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin expressed his gratitude for the oxygen concentrator donation from the Tanoto Foundation.

"Each unit of oxygen concentrator means a lot to lighten the burden on our health system. This donation gives patients the opportunity to have a steady supply of oxygen at home, and also frees up some places in the hospital so that they can be used by those who need it most," he said, quoted by Antara. from Antara, Wednesday 4 August.

"On behalf of the Indonesian government, I thank the Tanoto Foundation for its quick, responsive and comprehensive response that has allowed us to fight the pandemic with better resources, and give hope to every Indonesian citizen affected by the pandemic," he said.

The day before, the first 1,000 units of such oxygen concentrators also arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport from Guangzhou, China, on a special chartered Garuda Indonesia aircraft and arrived in the country before midnight. Meanwhile, another 1,000 units are scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on August 10.

Global CEO Tanoto Foundation, Dr J Satrijo Tanudjojo, reaffirmed his organization's commitment to supporting the Indonesian government during the COVID-19 pandemic, as stated in a press statement.

"When there is an increase in the need for medical liquid oxygen and oxygen concentrators, we immediately seek to procure it directly through our domestic and foreign networks and work with the Ministry of Health to distribute it to hospitals in Indonesia. We hope this donation can help save the lives of patients who are battling COVID-19," he said.

Since early July 2021, they have been working with the Ministry of Health to help overcome the lack of oxygen supply due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.

On July 9, 2021, the first shipment of 100 tons of a total of 500 tons of liquid oxygen for medical needs left the PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (APRIL Group) base in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau, to be distributed to hospitals in Java and Bali.

On July 13, 2021, a total of 1,500 oxygen concentrators arrived in Jakarta as part of a joint donation of 16 organizations including the Tanoto Foundation and the Temasek Foundation which brought a total of 11,000 oxygen concentrators to Indonesia. 1,000 units of which were donated by the Tanoto Foundation.

Tanoto Foundation brought in 2,000 supplementary oxygen concentrators directly from Foshan, China, consisting of 1,400 units of single channel oxygen concentrators with a capacity of 10 liters/minute and 600 units of double channel oxygen concentrators with a capacity of 10 liters per minute.

In the midst of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, there is a shortage of 700 tons of oxygen for medical needs per day, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

The 3,000 oxygen concentrator units from this independent philanthropic organization will benefit 6,000 patients a month, or 18,000 patients in the next three months. Beneficiaries are those who experience mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms and are allowed to be treated at home with the help of an oxygen concentrator.

The Ministry of Health recommends COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms to isolate for 10 days with an additional three days after symptoms disappear.

The use of this oxygen concentrator will free up the allocation of oxygen that is needed by patients with conditions that require intensive care in hospitals, so that it will benefit more COVID-19 patients.

Previously, in April 2020, shortly after the first case of COVID-19 was announced in Indonesia, this organization donated 1,000,000 medical masks, 1,000,000 gloves, 100,000 personal protective equipment, and 30,000 eye protection for Indonesian health workers amid a shortage of supplies. medical equipment.