Leading The Joint Session, DPD Chair Reveals The Wisdom Of The Pandemic For Indonesia

Chairman of the DPD RI La Nyalla Mattalitti (Photo: documentation of the MPR/DPR/DPD Annual Session)

JAKARTA - The chairman of the DPD RI, La Nyalla Mattalitti, said that the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world gave lessons. One of them, Indonesia as a nation knows the fundamental weaknesses, which so far have not been clearly revealed.

"Of course, this wisdom is not just to be contemplated. But it is the starting point for this nation's great work going forward," said La Nyalla Mattalitti in a speech to the MPR Annual Session and the 2021 Joint Session of the DPR and DPD in the Plenary Meeting Room, Nusantara Building MPR/DPR/DPD , Monday, August 16, morning.

With this pandemic, La Nyalla continued, all parties witnessed and saw for themselves how resilient the health sector was when there was an explosion of COVID-19 victims. The hospital almost collapsed, medical personnel died, health facilities and medical equipment were lacking here and there.

"Also the quality of our public health, which turns out to be vulnerable to comorbidities," he said.

The senator from East Java also said that it is clear that the Indonesian medical device industry is still very much dominated by imported products. Meanwhile, some of the nation's children who are trying to produce a number of medical support tools in the midst of a pandemic have not won the trust of their own country. Starting from the ventilator to the Red and White vaccine and the Nusantara vaccine.

"The pandemic has also given us wisdom in the education sector that has been unclear so far. Namely, the quality of our learning when faced with new patterns, learning remotely or online. This includes the readiness to support facilities and infrastructure support in villages and remote areas of the country," he said.

The pandemic, he said, also gave wisdom to all elements of the nation about the resilience of this nation's social sector. Especially, how the state is present to reach people who need social assistance.

"Improving the database of aid recipients must be our job today. Especially with the characteristics of the population who have high urbanization mobility. Coupled with the large number of people who have not had access to banking," he said.

La Nyalla also said that the pandemic has given wisdom as well as a great job for the Indonesian people to rethink how the nation's economic resilience is in the domestic production sector. Ranging from SME to large scale.

"We have seen how MSMEs that rely on direct transactions in the market feel the impact of the consequences of social restrictions. Meanwhile, the market place through a number of Unicorns is mostly filled with imported goods and only makes our nation's children as dropshippers and traders who open shops only," he said.

"Of course there are many lessons and tough tasks that we still have to do as a country that is expected to be strong and grow. But rest assured that after difficulties there will be ease," said La Nyalla.