Palace Apologizes, President Jokowi's Group Should Prioritize Ambulance Road In Sampit

Screenshot of the ambulance that was pulled over due to the motorcade of President Joko Widodo's car in Sampit (X/@Ryan_Al_Faqir)

JAKARTA - Deputy for Press and Media Protocol of the Presidential Secretariat (Setpres) M Yusuf Permana apologized for the delay in the ambulance road during the President's visit to Sampit on Wednesday, June 26 yesterday. This was conveyed in response to a video upload circulating on social media platform X, regarding the ambulance that was asked to stop and turn off the siren when the motorcade of President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) car passed in Sampit, Central Kalimantan. "We apologize to the family and the public for the incident and will always remind all ranks of security," Yusuf said as quoted by Antara, Jakarta, Thursday, June 27. He emphasized that ambulances must prioritize access on roads, rather than a series of presidential vehicles. Basically, according to applicable standard operating procedures (SOPs), ambulances must be given the main priority of roads or access, and must not be blocked. "Often on the streets the presidential series is sidelined and overtaken by ambulances because that is a priority according to our SOP," he said. The SOP, he said, was always conveyed by the Palace Team to the regional security team so that it could be implemented properly during presidential activities in various regions in Indonesia. Previously, social media user X, @NinzExe07, uploaded a video taken from an ambulance that stopped waiting for President Jokowi's motorcade to pass in front of Dr. Munjani Sampit Hospital. Seen in the video a patient who was lying sick in an ambulance, accompanied by his family.

“Bismillah. Fate in the country of Konoha, astaghfirullah. The patient was taken by ambulance, told to turn off the siren and move aside just for the sake of @jokowi's entourage. If the patient dies, then,” write the account owner.