TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Army (TNI) Headquarters is preparing to fly troops to get medical equipment from Shanghai, China. This was a direct order from Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, as an effort to mitigate the Covid-19 outbreak.

TNI Headquarter's head of information center, Maj. Gen. Sisriadi, said on Friday, March 20, that the government is preparing one Hercules C130 aircraft.

Sisriadi said the plan is for the plane to take off to Shanghai tomorrow, March 21. There will be 18 crew on the flight. However, the exact time of the take-off is still being coordinated.

"TNI Headquarters is finalizing the flight clearance with aviation authorities of the country concerned," he told Tempo.

Prabowo asked TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto to prepare the plane in a letter, No.B/667/M/III/2020, on March 18.

The letter's content is based on the result of a limited meeting with the President on March 16, as well as the outcome of a coordination meeting between the Deputy Minister of Defense and the Presidential Staff Office, as well as the information from the IMIP Jakarta company on March 17.

The letter stated that the medical kits that will be taken from Shanghai include disposable masks, N95 masks, protective clothing, goggles, gloves, shoe covers, infrared thermometers, and surgical caps.

The medical tools will be used by the Defense Ministry's Medical Team and the TNI to prevent and control the spread of the Coronavirus in Indonesia.

Budiarti Utami Putri