Pelni Ship Prepared To Be Isolation Place For COVID-19 Patients In Lampung

BANDARLAMPUNG - KM Lawit, a ship owned by PT Pelni, was prepared as a place for self-isolation for COVID-19 patients amid increasing cases in Lampung.

"KM Lawit is one of the cruise ships owned by PT Pelni, and is currently not operating (port stay) due to the implementation of the Emergency PPKM, so it will be temporarily converted as an independent isolation place for COVID-19 patients in Lampung," said the Acting Officer of Kesyahbandaran and Port Authority (KSOP) Class I Panjang Hendri Ginting, in Bandarlampung, quoted by Antara, Friday, July 16.

The loan of KM Lawit for the implementation of self-isolation for COVID-19 patients was carried out due to the high occupancy rate of hospital beds in Lampung.

"The Lampung hospital bed occupancy rate (BOR) is quite high, so with a total ship capacity of 900 people, it is hoped that it can help provide isolation places for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms," he said.

According to him, although the ship's capacity reaches 900 people, in its implementation, only 500 people will be used to anticipate crowds during maintenance.

"It will only be used by 500 people, because they have to maintain a distance, for later health workers will provide it from the Lampung Provincial Health Office," continued Hendri.

Meanwhile, General Manager (GM) of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II (Persero) Panjang Branch Adi Sugiri supported the plan for a floating isolation place at KM Lawit, and after coordinating the ship will be in an anchor position, so that later a small ship will be prepared as an intermediary to the ship. that.

He explained that to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the port environment due to the existence of a floating isolation place, a number of fixed procedures for picking up patients would be arranged.

"We will prepare a permanent procedure later, only really residents who suffer from COVID-19 with mild symptoms are treated there, then we create a special area for them to enter the ship," he said.

Previously, the Ministry of Transportation had also supported the handling of COVID-19 cases, one of which was in Makassar, South Sulawesi, by preparing the Pelni ship, KM Umsini, as a place for self-isolation for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.