INSA Chairman Carmelita Hartoto Wants Seafarers And Port Workers To Be Priority For Vaccine Recipients

Chairman of the INSA DPP, Carmelita Hartoto. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Central Leadership Council (DPP) of The Indonesian National Shipowners' Association (INSA) requested that seafarers and port workers to be one of the priorities for community groups receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Chairman of the DPP of INSA, Carmelita Hartoto, said seafarers and port workers have an important role and are always on the move in ensuring the smooth flow of goods and the availability of logistics throughout the Indonesian island.

"Seafarers and port workers are at the forefront of logistics distribution. Their roles are not inferior to doctors and nurses. That's why we must ensure that seafarers and port workers are also the priority recipients of vaccination first," said Carmelita as quoted by Antara, Monday, February 15.

But on the other hand, seafarers and port workers are a group that is vulnerable to the risk of being exposed to COVID-19, moreover, goods distribution activities cannot stop and must continue for 24 hours every day.

For that, said Carmelita, seafarers and port workers are expected to be included in the priority groups of vaccine recipients.

As is known, the total target of vaccination in Indonesia reaches over 181 million people. Meanwhile, for the vaccine target health workers reached 1,468,764 health workers.

As reported on the official website of the Committee for the Management of COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery, until Saturday, February 13, 2021, more than one million health workers had received the phase 1 vaccine, while the stage 2 vaccine had reached 415,486 health workers.

Carmelita said national ship operators and seafarers are committed to implementing guidelines to anticipate the spread of the COVID-19 virus at sea. This is as stated in SE No.11 of 2020 concerning Guidelines for Action Design or contingency plans for seafarers and ship operators due to COVID-19.

"We also appeal, even though our sailors and port workers will be vaccinated, they must still obey and apply health protocols discipline," she said.

Neighbor-State Singapore has started vaccinating its maritime and aviation workers in mid-January. As many as 37 thousand workers from the two sectors will receive mass vaccinations.

Vaccinate maritime and aviation workers there to protect them from the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and to restore the economy of Singapore, which is the world's aviation and port hub.

Indonesia as an archipelagic country, she said, naturally also prioritized maritime workers to get vaccines to ensure the distribution and flow of national goods.