Ministry Of Transportation Prepares KM Umsini For Isolation Of COVID-19 Patients With Mild Symptoms In Makassar

Officers check the condition of the bed on the KM Umsini leaning on Soekarno Hatta Port in Makassar (Photo: ANTARA)

MAKASSAR - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) supports the handling of COVID-19 cases in Makassar, South Sulawesi by preparing the Pelni ship as a place of self-isolation. This isolation location is only intended for patients with mild symptoms.

The Director General of Sea Transportation, R Agus H Purnomo, said the Ministry of Transportation had given permission and coordinated with Pelni regarding the provision of ships. Meanwhile, regarding isolation operations and the provision of health workers, the local government will coordinate.

"This is done in order to help the Makassar City Government following the high number of positive cases of COVID-19 and the limited treatment rooms in Makassar," Agus said as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, July 14.

PT Pelni has prepared the passenger ship KM Umsini for floating isolation which has arrived today. The bed capacity is 1,995 units.

For the implementation of this self-isolation, a maximum of 50 percent of the total capacity is used, which is 868 units, of which 68 units are for health workers.

Meanwhile, Director of Traffic and Sea Transportation (Dirlala) Antoni Arif Priyadi said the provision of ships for floating isolation is still in the preparation stage.

As for several aspects that are being prepared for this floating isolation, one of which is the determination of the status of the ship as a place of self-isolation by the Directorate General of P2P of the Ministry of Health.

"It is also being prepared regarding the implementation period, the position of the ship docking / anchoring," said Antoni Arif Priyadi.

The floating isolation facilities consist of beds, ship crews, medical devices, PPE for ship crews, health workers, security personnel, consumption and handling of medical waste.

"Currently for the ship's crew, there are only core crew members and the rolling process is every two weeks," he said.

This floating isolation ship is not sailing but anchored around Lae Lae Island. The location was chosen to make it easier for the Makassar City Government to supervise and distribute logistics and medicines for patients on board.

"Later on, there will also be regular health monitoring of the health workers and crew on duty. And every rolling, they will be tested RT-PCR first," he said.

For information, the plan to use ships for self-isolation for COVID-19 sufferers will also be carried out in Lampung. Currently, the process is still in the coordination stage with the Governor of Lampung and other related parties.