JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission VIII Yandri Susanto asked the government to immediately function hajj dormitories throughout Indonesia as isolation rooms for COVID-19 patients.
Along with the increasing number of new cases of COVID-19, the isolation rooms for patients are increasingly limited. Meanwhile, the hospital occupancy rate is getting full.
According to Yandri, in the absence of this year's hajj pilgrims, the hajj dormitory can be fully functioned as a place for isolation of COVID-19 patients.
"There are 27 Hajj hostels throughout Indonesia with a total of 3465 rooms that can be used as isolation rooms for COVID-19 patients," Yandri said in his statement, Friday, June 25.
Yandri assessed that the solution to using a hajj dormitory could save the budget for patient isolation rather than using hotels which require large costs. However, hajj dormitory facilities must of course be good and appropriate to be a patient isolation room.
"Especially now, like the Athletes' House, it is also getting full. You have to queue to enter. Likewise with patient isolation places in other provinces. Meanwhile, cases are predicted to continue to increase until the end of July. The solution is that the Hajj dormitory will function as an isolation room!," he explained.
Yandri said that the APBN funds prepared for the implementation of this year's hajj could be partially refocused for handling COVID-19.
"To change the function of the hajj dormitory into an isolation room, of course it requires additional facilities. Because the hajj is cancelled, the APBN funds prepared for this year's hajj can be partially refocused for the service of COVID-19 patients in the Hajj hostel," he continued.
The Deputy General Chair of PAN also asked for coordination across ministries to immediately change the function of the hajj dormitory into an isolation room. In this case the Ministry of Religion together with the Ministry of Health and other related parties.
"It must be immediately discussed and executed across the Ministry of Religion and the Ministry of Health. In addition, coordination with the Provincial and Regency Governments is also needed. However, overcoming the COVID-19 problem is a joint work," Yandri said.
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