The Mataram PMK Task Force Comes From The Agriculture Service, BPBD To The TNI/Polri, Their Duties Are According To Each Institution

Illustration of FMD vaccination in cattle. (Antara-Umarul Faruq)

NTB - The Mataram City Government has formed a Task Force (Satgas) for Mouth and Nail Diseases (PMK) as an effort to optimize the prevention and control of the spread of the FMD virus in livestock in the area.

The Head of the Mataram City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Mahfuddin Noor said the PMK Task Force consisted of several related agencies/agencies, such as the Agriculture Service, BPBD, and the TNI/Polri.

"Members of this task force are integrated in the same way as the Task Force for Handling COVID-19," he said in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, July 20.

He explained that members of the task force were assigned according to the main tasks and functions of each service, such as prevention and communication, education, and information (KIE), but remained in the coordination of the task force.

For IEC tasks, for example, he said, the task force provides education to breeders related to health, while the task of preventing, guarding, and supervising livestock is according to procedures.

In addition, the task force handles livestock affected by FMD, for example spraying disinfectants in cages, vaccinations, and isolation of affected livestock.

"The task force also continues to patrol the cattle ranches and slaughter points to ensure that the slaughtered cattle are free of PMK," he said.

The establishment of the PMK Non-Natural Disaster Management Task Force is considered important as an effort to control and prevent the massive, sustainable, and integrated spread of PMK.

"So far, the handling of PMK seems to be handled by the Agriculture Service (Distan) only. Whereas for handling it requires cross-sectoral cooperation," he said.

The latest data from the Mataram City Public Service Office is related to the development of FMD cases as of June 28, 2022, the number of livestock affected by FMD was 522 cows and five goats. The number of recovered cattle was 393, 74 were recovered, 52 were sold, and three were emergency slaughtered.