Jokowi Asks Regional Heads To Discipline Residents, Prepare Isolation To Ensure Oxygen Stock Stok

President Joko Widodo (Setkab DOK)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked regional heads to work hard in the field to ensure that the handling of COVID-19 runs optimally. Regional heads were asked to check the readiness of handling COVID-19 from hospitals to disciplining residents to obey health protocols.

"Some actions in the field, the first is field action for prevention. Disciplined the community, following health protocols, wearing masks, keeping distance, not crowding, this is the key. The public must also know how to detect early contracting COVID-19, where to get medicine, where to consult," Jokowi said in a virtual briefing to regional heads throughout Indonesia which was broadcast via the Presidential Secretariat Youtube, Monday, July 19.

The most important thing at this time, said Jokowi, was the preparation of isolation places, especially for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms. This preparation is requested by Jokowi at least at the sub-district level.

“Especially for densely populated areas, especially in cities. Because the field checks that I did (there is a place) 3 times 3 (meters) are inhabited by 4 people, this acceleration of transmission will be massive if no centralized isolation is prepared in the kelurahan or at least in the sub-district," Jokowi continued.

Meanwhile, the discipline of health procedures is also required to be regulated in detail regarding the implementation in markets, malls, factories and places of worship.

“Third, plan and prepare regional hospitals, including reserve hospitals and emergency hospitals. There must be anticipation in advance, at least there is planning. What if the hospital is full, don't let it be full, then it will be too late," he said.

"I ask the hospital to check properly, to control the field. Check the medicine is ready or not for how many days, how many weeks, how many months, control and check oxygen is ready or not (availability). Check the BOR capacity, because there is still a lot of hospital capacity that can be increased for COVID (handling)," Jokowi continued.

Jokowi said that in a number of areas, hospitals still set a figure of 20-30 percent of beds for COVID-19 patients from the total capacity.

"This can be increased by 40 (percent) or as in DKI 50 (percent), which is allocated to COVID (patients). This regional head must know what capacity, given how much COVID," said Jokowi.

In addition, Jokowi requested that the distribution of regional expenditures, including assistance for the community, be accelerated. According to Jokowi, the pandemic condition requires accelerating the distribution of the budget to support the community.

"The next field action is to accelerate social assistance and accelerate regional spending. I see the numbers, this relates to MSME funds, social assistance funds, village funds. The data I received was that the MSME budget was Rp. 13.3 trillion. We will see for all regions, 514 districts, cities and provinces. (Out of) Rp. 13.3 trillion that was used, only Rp. 2.3 trillion, even though we really need it, the people really need the people to wait. I ask for this to be issued immediately," Jokowi said in a virtual briefing to regional heads throughout Indonesia which was broadcast via the Presidential Secretariat Youtube, Monday, July 19.

Jokowi also mentioned that the social protection budget was Rp. 12.1 trillion, with the realization of only Rp. 2.3 trillion.

"There is not yet 20 percent of everything, there are people waiting for this.

This village fund is Rp. 72 trillion, the total used (for) village BLT is Rp. 28 trillion, but the realization, which is used at Rp. 5.6 trillion, is also less than 25 percent. This is what I ask all to speed up. With this condition, the public is waiting for the acceleration of the budget," Jokowi continued.