Jokowi Said It Was A Bit Of Coughing, Minister Of Health Budi Had Not Confirmed The Impact Of Jakarta's Dirty Air

Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin when delivering information to journalists/DOK BETWEEN

Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin has not confirmed that the cough experienced by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was caused by the influence of dirty air that hit the Jakarta area and its surroundings. "The president said he coughed a bit yesterday," said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin after attending the 2023 Exemplary Health Workers Award event in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, August 15. But when asked if the cause was dirty? Minister of Health Budi said the allegations had not been further examined by the competent health personnel. "It hasn't been checked yet," said the Minister of Health. According to him, President Jokowi has given directions to the Ministry of Health to take part in efforts to control dirty air in the downstream sector, namely through early detection of the health of the lungs of the community using lung function test kits in each health center in high-pollution areas. The tools that are now available, said Minister of Health Budi, are called sprirometry which can detect a number of diseases triggered by dirty air, such as asthma, tuberculosis, lung cancer, and chronic lung obscursion. Another downstream sector that is now being strengthened is the readiness of service facilities in hospitals to treat patients with complaints of respiratory problems. "We have prepared this for treatment at the hospital," said Minister of Health Budi. All reports related to the influence of dirty air on public health, he said, are coordinated with related ministries/agencies as evaluation material. "We are keeping a monitor on the condition as to what. We report it to the ministry which handles it and we prepare it if the consequences happen to the community," he said. Previously, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) as well as the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ad Interim Sandiaga Uno said President Jokowi was affected by the poor and unhealthy air quality in Jabodetabek in recent days.

" “ The President asked that within one week there be concrete steps because the President himself had coughed. He said that he had not felt this way for almost 4 weeks (President Jokowi) and possibly, the doctor said, there was a contribution from unhealthy air and poor quality,” Sandiaga said after a limited meeting on air pollution at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Monday (14/8).