Minister Of Religion Yaqut: 27 Hajj Dormitory Throughout Indonesia Ready To Become A COVID-19 Emergency Hospital Or Isolation Place

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said dozens of hajj dormitories in Indonesia are ready to be used as emergency hospitals and centralized isolation places due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases.

He explained that of the 31 hajj dormitories throughout Indonesia, 27 of them are ready to be used. This has been reported to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in a limited meeting held on Friday, July 16 or today.

Meanwhile, four other Hajj hostels are currently still in the process of being prepared or renovated.

"The Ministry of Religion has 31 Hajj dormitories throughout Indonesia, 27 of which are ready to be used for the purposes of handling the COVID-19 pandemic, either in the form of a COVID-19 emergency hospital as in Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory or for self-isolation purposes. We have prepared everything," Yaqut said at a press conference held aired on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Friday, July 16.

Complementing it, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that currently there are 2,000 beds prepared by the government amid the addition of COVID-19 cases. Thousands of these beds are prepared for COVID-19 patients with moderate symptoms.

As for the details, as many as 1,000 of them were prepared at Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory, the implementation of which was in collaboration with Pertamina Hospital.

"Updates on the development of beds provided in Jakarta are 1,000 beds at Wisma Haji consisting of 900 regular beds and 100 ICUs in collaboration with Pertamina Hospital," he said.

While the rest, there are 300 beds provided at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and 500 beds provided by Pertamina Hospital in Jakarta.

"In total there is an inventory of nearly 2,000 additional beds that are being prepared for patients with moderate categories," he concluded.