Epidemiologist: The Government Has No Action Plan To Overcome Pandemic

Illustrations (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, Pandu Riono thinks that the Indonesian government does not have an action plan to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

This can be seen from the development of COVID-19 cases that continue to increase. However, the government and the DPR agreed not to delay the implementation of the 2020 Pilkada because they could not predict when the pandemic would end.

Pandu views that the decision not to postpone the Pilkada was not due to an unpredictable pandemic. However, due to immature planning for handling COVID-19.

"We do not know when the pandemic will end. Why? Because we have no plans to end it. From the start, the government did not have a plan of action on how to deal with this pandemic," Pandu explained in a webinar discussion, Wednesday, September 30.

Pandu said, there are many things that the government should be able to do in dealing with a pandemic. However, it cannot be implemented properly.

"It is as if there is no coordination. As if this pandemic is not being led by anyone," he said.

In addition, there is an inconsistency in the composition of the COVID-19 handling team. First, the government formed a Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19, chaired by the Head of BNPB Doni Monardo.

Then, the Task Force was replaced with the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN) chaired by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartato.

KPCPEN has three parts, a Policy Committee, a Task Force for Handling COVID-19, and a National Economic Recovery and Transformation Task Force.

"If we see, the strategies change. There are ministers who are not in their field, but they say they are the smartest in the field of management. What I know is, they are good at scolding people," said Pandu jokingly.

Furthermore, Pandu also saw that the government did not have standard activities to carry out, many rules had changed, how targets had to be achieved, and how to monitor the evaluation.

"There is no plan, no action plan. Therefore, the activities are patchy. There is no seriousness to overcome the pandemic. It is ironic. As a large country, this pandemic should be able to be overcome," he concluded.