Ministry Of Health Prepares 740 Health Facilities To Handle The Impact Of Air Pollution

Minister Of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin/ANTARA PHOTO/Aditya Pradana Putra

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has prepared 740 health facilities that can handle the community if infected with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (ISPA) due to unhealthy air in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) areas.

In an explanation from the Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin during a working meeting (raker) with Commission IX of the DPR, the health facilities prepared consisted of 674 health centers, 66 hospitals, and the Friendship Central General Hospital (RSUP) in Jakarta as the National Respiratory Center.

"We have asked professional organizations and collegium for lung specialists to educate health center doctors to understand lung disease, because ARI can be handled at the puskesmas, and we make sure the tools are also available," said the Minister of Health as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, August 30.

As for pneumonia, said the Minister of Health, the treatment must be in the hospital, because it requires X-rays. The Minister of Health ensures that pneumonia can be handled in all hospitals in Jabodetabek.

Meanwhile, puskesmas, he continued, were spread to several areas, namely DKI Jakarta (333), Tangerang Regency (44), Tangerang City (39), Depok City (38), Bogor City (25), Bogor Regency (101), Bekasi City (48), and Bekasi Regency (46).

In addition to preparing health facilities, the Ministry of Health is also actively carrying out promotive and preventive efforts by providing education to the public regarding ISPA symptoms.

In addition, he said, the public is also advised to wear masks when doing activities outdoors when the air quality is poor.

"We provide recommendations, what masks can filter PM 2.5 (standard air pollution quality in general) because this is the smallest, if outside you can wear a KF 94 mask or KN 95, but in the room you should use air purifier to clean up dust from outside," said Minister of Health Budi Gunadi.

Previously, the Ministry of Health invited the public to implement 6M and 1S to prevent the impact of air pollution that is at risk of causing ARI disease.

To note, 6M and 1S consist of checking air quality through applications or websites, secondly reducing outdoor activity and closing ventilation for homes, offices, schools, and public places during high air pollution, and thirdly using indoor air purification.

Then the fourth avoids sources of pollution and cigarette smoke, the fifth uses masks during high air pollution, the sixth carries out Clean and Healthy Lifestyle (PHBS), and immediately consults online or offline with health workers if there are respiratory complaints.