Urgently, Erick Thohir Instructs The Conversion Of BUMN Tank Trucks To Help Medical Oxygen Distribution

SOE Minister Erick Thohir. (Intermediate Photo)

JAKARTA - SOE Minister Erick Thohir has instructed state-owned companies such as Pertamina and Pupuk Indonesia Group to convert tank trucks to move quickly to help distribute oxygen in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of Emergency PPKM.

Erick Thohir said that in dealing with the transmission rate of the Delta COVID-19 variant in Indonesia, mutual cooperation from all parties was needed to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 variant pandemic.

"That's why we asked Pertamina or state-owned fertilizer companies yesterday to start helping with the distribution of oxygen through tanker trucks belonging to state-owned companies that must be converted," said Erick at a Working Meeting with Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta, Thursday, July 8.

According to him, these things have been done and even yesterday Krakatau Steel as well as state-owned fertilizer companies have started converting some extra capacity to produce oxygen. "The need for oxygen will increase in the future, so whether we like it or not, we have to accelerate the same as the availability of drugs or the number of patient beds," said the Minister of SOEs as reported by Antara.

Previously, SOE Minister Erick Thohir stepped down directly and moved quickly in ensuring the contribution of SOEs to meet oxygen needs for the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the implementation of emergency community activity restrictions (PPKM).

Erick Thohir said strategic state-owned companies such as Pertamina Group include PGN, Krakatau Steel and Pupuk Indonesia Group, which includes Petrokimia and Pusri. ​Equally important, Pelindo is actively involved in its logistics infrastructure.

According to Erick Thohir, with the facilities they have, ranging from material management to distribution networks, he emphasized that the focus of SOEs is to help deal with the pandemic.

He is optimistic that the quick steps taken by state-owned companies will respond quickly to needs in the field.

In addition to ensuring adequate distribution and price of drugs through the pharmaceutical sector SOEs, SOEs also ensure the availability of oxygen cylinders for a number of hospitals.

Pertamina Group in addition to allocating its infrastructure to facilitate the allocation and distribution of oxygen to locations that need it through PGN also provides assistance and oxygen, Pupuk Indonesia Group has sent a total of 96.73 tons of oxygen to hospitals in Jakarta, Central Java and the Special Region. Yogyakarta. In addition, Krakatau Steel which has a fairly large allocation of oxygen which has been used as part of the steel production process.

Now the oxygen capacity of Krakatau Steel has been immediately transferred to help provide oxygen in the hospital. SOE Minister Erick Thohir hopes that this effort can help distribute medical oxygen which is much needed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of Emergency PPKM.