TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The coordinator of the Emergency PPKM (emergency state of public activity restriction) in Java-Bali, Luhut Pandjaitan, in a press conference on Thursday announced that the Indonesian government has prepared the worst case scenario if the country logs 100,000 Covid-19 daily cases.

“We surely are not hoping for 100,000 to come but we have formulated a plan if it happens,” said Luhut who is also the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment on July 15.

As of July 14, Covid-19 daily cases in Indonesia reached its peak with 54,517 active cases. The government noted that they will run the scenario as daily cases reach 60,000. The minister did not detail the plan if the case reach 100,000, but he explained the current protocols the government do based on 60,000 daily cases scenario, as follow:

1. Accelerate mass-vaccinations

Luhut Pandjaitan said the government has secured 480.7 million vaccine supplies, hoping that in July it will be able to perfom average daily vaccination of 1 million doses.

2. Adding more hospital beds

The government has set 900 additional beds at Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory, 150 ICU facilities in Arafah Building, as well as 500 beds to treat medium and severe Covid-19 cases at the Tanjung Duren Hospital which the constrution is underway.

Healthcare facilities run by the military and police will get 2,000 additional beds in Java and Bali. Facilities owned by State Ministries and state institutions will also be utilized as isolation and treatment wards for coronavirus patients.

3. Boosting the number of healthcare workers

According to Luhut Pandjaitan, there are more than 20,000 nurses currently in training and will be mobilized as they pass. The same goes with doctors, he said the government will immediately recruit 2,000 new graduates and train.

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4. Medicinal needs will be fulfilled

The government has pushed for international and domestic industries to commit to supply Covid-19 therapeutic medicines such as Tocilizumab, Remdesivir, Favipiravir, and IVIg. Luhut also said global producers are encouraged to prioritize their supply for Indonesia either through special access schemes or donations.

5. Distributing free medicine packages for the public

The government is set to distribute 300,000 Covid-19 medicines for asymptomatic and patients with mild symptoms.

6. Boosting oxygen capacity

According to Minister Luhut, the government will relocate 90-100 percent of the industrial-use oxygen production for medical purposes. They will also divert industrial liquid oxygen iso tanks for hospital use. The government is also currently in talks with Singapore, China, and the United Arab Emirates for assistance apart from accepting global help in the form of vaccines and medical equipment.

7. The use of oxygen concentrators

The government will substitute the use of liquid oxygen tanks with oxygen concentrators to treat Covid-19 patients undergoing self-isolation and public isolation facilities as liquid oxygen will be diverted for hospitalized patients with severe symptoms.

8. Medical needs from private sector donations

Apart from government-to-government help, Indonesia has also accepted donations from the private sector. Luhut Pandjatian claims these donations came from formal requests and non-requests.

9. Rice assistance program

The government will distribute 11,000 tons of rice and allocate 10 kilograms for each household throughout Java and Bali during the Emergency PPKM, which will start to be distributed to families in the second week of July.

Read: Luhut Compares Covid-19 Spread in Indonesia to Other Countries

FRISKI RIANA