Held A BUMN Vaccination Center In Medan, Erick Thohir: So That This City Is In A Safe Zone

Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir (Photo: Instagram @erickthohir)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir targets the existence of a Joint Vaccination Center for BUMN in Medan, North Sumatra to be able to bring the city into a safe zone amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, currently the city of Medan is one of the areas with a red zone amid an increase in the rate of positive cases of COVID-19.

"I want the vaccination center in Medan to have a positive response from the residents of North Sumatra so that they want to be vaccinated so that the city is in a safe zone. Moreover, this vaccine center is open to anyone who has not been vaccinated," Erick said when inaugurating the BUMN Joint Vaccination Center in Polonia, Medan, as quoted from his written statement, Sunday, June 27.

He said the current COVID-19 pandemic has not ended and has even made a number of regions in the country enter the red zone. Thus, public participation is needed to overcome this because it is not enough if only the government moves.

"I remind you that this pandemic is not over yet. Currently, red zone status appears in various regencies and provincial capitals. Even though maximum efforts have been and continue to be made by the government, it must receive support and active participation from the community," he said.

This vaccination center, continued Erick, is targeted to inject 5,000 people per day. He believes this target can be achieved because anyone without exception can be injected in that place.

"I believe it can be achieved because everyone from various backgrounds can be vaccinated here in order to pursue acceleration. I ask that everyone be more disciplined in carrying out the 3 M. Hopefully this effort will be facilitated by the Almighty so that we can get through this pandemic," he stressed

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of North Sumatra Rajekshah who was present at the inauguration expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the vaccine center.

Moreover, based on data from the COVID-19 Task Force, the status of the city of Medan, which has a population of 2.43 million people or 16.46 percent of the entire population of North Sumatra, is in the red zone with the addition of cases of more than 30 people every day.

In addition, the percentage coverage of the number of North Sumatrans who have received vaccinations is still low. Nationally, the coverage of the first vaccine in North Sumatra is ranked 20th nationally with 40.23 percent, while for the second vaccine it is only 21.58 percent or 23rd nationally.

"High appreciation to Minister Erick Thohir and his staff for providing large facilities for mass vaccination. This is what the residents of Medan and North Sumatra need so that this pandemic can end soon so that social and economic life in North Sumatra returns to normal," said Rajekshah.

To serve the vaccination center at the location of the former airport, the Ministry of SOEs deployed 250 health workers coordinated by Pertamina Hospital Pangkalan Berandan. In addition, this vaccination center involves health service centers in the city of Medan, such as the Puskesmas in the Medan City Region and its surroundings in collaboration with the Medan City Health Office.

To date, the six SOEs Joint Vaccination Centers that have been carried out by the Ministry of SOEs in DKI Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, and Banyumas have been able to vaccinate 1.6 million people.