Day: July 26, 2022

Posted on

Single platform integrating all health service applications launched

The Indonesian Health Ministry launched a single platform to integrate the operational system of health service applications in Indonesia called SatuSehat, which means “One Health,” here on Tuesday.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that the platform is one of the transformations in health information technology that aims to simplify the service applications currently used at various health care facilities.

Currently, a total of 32 service applications have been integrated in the platform, he noted.

Sadikin’s side targets that by December 2023, all health service applications in Indonesia will be integrated into the platform that was developed with an investment value of Rp40 billion (US$2.58 million).

“Both (the applications used by) hospitals, health centers, as well as laboratories and pharmacies,” he stated.

The minister noted that so far, hospitals equipped with quite good digital information system find it easy to integrate their data into the SatuSehat platform.

“Thus, perhaps, we will provide a simpler alternative (platform) for the hospitals that do not have a good information system,” he stated.

Chief of the Digital Transformation Office of the ministry, Setiaji, stated that the platform served as a bridge for the exchange of health data, including patient medical records. The data exchange is accommodated in the PeduliLindungi application.

“We ready the platform, so that different hospitals using diverse applications can exchange data with each other through the platform,” he explained.

The SatuSehat platform is projected to integrate service data from around 60 thousand health care facilities.

“This year (in 2022), we target to integrate (the data from) eight thousand health facilities, including private and government hospitals,” Setiaji, who concurrently served as the minister’s Expert Staff for Health Technology, remarked.

As quoted from a release on the ministry’s official website, SatuSehat is the official name of the Indonesia Health Service (IHS) platform — which had undergone beta testing since April 2022 — that was obtained by conducting a naming competition for the public.

In addition to integrating the health service applications, the platform aims to establish a health industry ecosystem involving health care facilities, health-tech providers, health equipment manufacturers, pharmacies, practitioners, and academics.

Currently, 16 health service facilities have been integrated into the platform.

 

Source: Antara News

Posted on

BMKG issues early warning for drought in East Nusa Tenggara

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued an early warning for a meteorological drought in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province.

“Currently, 96 percent of the total season zone in NTT is still in the dry period, so related parties need to be aware of the potential for a drought disaster,” Head of the Kupang BMKG Class II Climatology Station Rahmattulloh Adji informed in a statement received here Tuesday.

Regarding the dry season period and its potential impact on the NTT region, he said the data for days without rain (HTH), which was updated on July 20, 2022, has shown that several areas in NTT have experienced a series of dry days for 21–61 days.

Rainfall probability forecasts have indicated more than 70 percent probability of very low rainfall (less than 20 millimeters/10 consecutive days) in some areas.

“With this kind of condition, the threat of drought has the potential to occur, so people in NTT need to be aware of it,” Adji said.

A drought could potentially have a number of impacts, for example, it could affect the rain-fed system in the agricultural sector, he explained.

Then, a drought disaster could also reduce the availability of groundwater, leading to a scarcity of clean water for the community.

A drought could also increase the potential of fires spreading quickly due to high ad dry wind conditions during the dry season.

To overcome this, local governments and communities can carry out various mitigation efforts to reduce the impact of losses due to a potential drought, Adji said.

 

Source: Antara News

Posted on

Indonesia logs 6,483 COVID-19 cases in single day

The COVID-19 Handling Task Force reported that the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia swelled by 6,483 on Tuesday, with Jakarta being the province recording the highest number of new cases, at 2,974.

According to the task force report accessed here on Tuesday, with the additional 6,483 cases, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia since the first case was confirmed in the country in March 2020 had, so far, touched 6,178,873 cases.

After Jakarta, the provinces that recorded the most number of new infections on Tuesday were West Java, at 1,334; Banten, 952; East Java, 412; and Bali, 228.

Currently, 43,422 COVID-19 patients are still undergoing isolation, the task force reported.

Moreover, the number of patients, who recovered from COVID-19, increased by 3,511 on Tuesday, taking the total recovery count to 5,978,522.

The provinces that recorded the most recoveries on Tuesday were Jakarta, with 1,513 recoveries, followed by 656 in West Java, 634 in Banten, 299 in East Java, and 137 in Bali.

The task force also reported that 13 COVID-19 patients succumbed to the virus on Tuesday comprising four from Bali, three each from Jakarta and West Java, and one each from Central Java, South Kalimantan, and Yogyakarta.

So far, the COVID-19 death toll had reached 156,929.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, after the launch of the SatuSehat platform here on Tuesday, stated that the rate of COVID-19 cases was currently experiencing an increasing trend, but the pandemic handling had been better.

“Although the cases are rising slightly, the current pandemic handling is going well,” he remarked.

Sadikin noted that as many as 81 percent of the COVID-19 cases in Indonesia were of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants.

He ensured that the pandemic situation in the country was still under control. Nevertheless, the public is advised to comply with health protocols and get vaccinated against the virus.

 

Source: Antara News

Posted on

Indonesia, China agree to renew maritime cooperation

The Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources have agreed to renew cooperation in the maritime sector to strengthen the economies of the two countries.

“Hopefully, this cooperation will drive the development of Indonesia’s maritime and fisheries sector, where community welfare is improving and ecology is well-maintained,” Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said here on Tuesday.

The cooperation is also aimed at maintaining the sustainability of marine ecosystems based on blue economy principles.

The maritime cooperation is contained in the Implementing Arrangement (IA) document signed circularly on July 26, 2022, by Minister Trenggono in Jakarta and China’s Minister of Natural Resources Wang Guanghua in Beijing.

The cooperation covers joint technical cooperation in relevant areas in the maritime sector, integrated coastal management, mitigation, and adaptation in coasts and small islands, blue economy development, as well as human resources capacity.

It also covers sharing information and knowledge on the maritime sector, such as through formal and vocational education, joint symposia, seminars, workshops, training, and exchanges of experts.

The signing of the IA document between the ministries has launched a new chapter of maritime cooperation between the two countries after an earlier agreement expired in 2016.

Based on data, the trade balance of Indonesian fishery products exchange with China recorded a surplus in 2018–2022.

In the first half of 2022, the export value of Indonesian fishery products reached US$485 million, while the import value reached US$56 million.

Earlier, an MoU on strengthening maritime cooperation between the governments of Indonesia and China was signed on June 5, 2021, by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The MoU covered economic, trade, political, security, and defense cooperation, including the eradication of IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing, aquaculture (fisheries cultivation) cooperation, fisheries products processing, cold storage, and marketing, as well as cooperation in technology and knowledge transfer.

 

Source: Antara News

Posted on

2024 elections: KPU assures of equal treatment to political parties

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has assured of equal, fair, and proportional treatment to all political parties seeking to register for the 2024 General Elections.

“Fairness, proportionality, and equality (will be the basis of) KPU’s treatment of political parties, including by providing the same time and space. The starting date for uploading (political party data) on the KPU RI’s Sipol system is July 24 (2022), which will be the same for all parties,” KPU chairperson Hasyim Asy’ari said here on Tuesday.

The start time and the deadline for political party registrations, which will be open from August 1–14, will also be the same for all political parties, he pointed out.

Political parties seeking to register for the 2024 General Elections can also request assistance through the help desk if they encounter issues while uploading party data on the KPU’s party information system (Sipol), he said.

“The communication (can be done) through the KPU help desk, as well as through the WhatsApp group set up between KPU and party liaison officers,” Asy’ari added.

Meanwhile, KPU commissioner Idham Holik asked political parties to inform the electoral commission about the preferred date for registering their participation at the KPU office.

If parties state their preferred date before the visit, the commission can prepare proper services for political party representatives and prevent a backlog if more than one political party registers at the KPU office at the same time, he explained.

Holik said that notifications about the visit date will be needed as KPU is committed to providing fair treatment to all political parties, including during the registration process.

“Because if that occurs, we are not only afraid that (political parties) would not be properly served while registering with us, but we are also afraid that some parties will have a bad assumption that we are prioritizing one party over another. We do not want this to occur,” the KPU RI commissioner remarked.

 

Source: Antara News

Posted on

Private sector urged to increase women’s role in world of work

The Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry has asked the private sector to increase the role of women in the world of work.

One way to achieve this is by asking leaders of companies to promote women’s leadership, the ministry’s people’s participation deputy, Indra Gunawan, said at the G20 Empower third side event on Tuesday.

G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the presidency of the grouping this year.

The government is continuing to push the private sector to promote gender equality in the working world through the G20 forum, he said during the side event, a webinar entitled “The Future of Work: Accelerating Opportunities and Challenges for Women in the World of Work and Business.”

The government can also support women’s economic development, he added.

This can be done by identifying the best practices that can be replicated at the national level, he explained.

Gunawan said he expects that the acceleration of women’s empowerment practices will continue to be supported by all parties given that women’s participation has tended to decline throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the factors behind this has been gender stereotypes that still exist in foundational industries, namely industries dominated by men who tend to underestimate the role and participation of women, he elaborated.

Before the global pandemic, one of the challenges that women encountered in the work market included adjusting to new technologies, which has remained relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To this end, he urged all parties to contribute to supporting and bolstering the women’s empowerment commitment within the working world and community.

By increasing the role of women, people can invest in the prosperity of the nation’s future, he remarked.

During the event, the Communication and Information Ministry’s secretary general, Mira Tayyiba, said that collaborative effort between the government, industry, and other stakeholders is necessary to realize gender equality.

G20 Empower encourages improving digital skills and literacy, especially among women, to reduce the gender gap in the two fields, she added.

 

Source: Antara News

Posted on

DPR speaker invites citizens to support Indonesia at ASEAN Para Games

Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Puan Maharani has invited citizens to support the Indonesian national team at the XI ASEAN Para Games.

According to Maharani, this year, Indonesia will host the biggest sporting event in Southeast Asia for athletes with special needs.

“Let us support the athletes and officials of the ASEAN Para Games XI to compete in the championship,” she said in a statement issued in Jakarta on Tuesday.

She further said she hopes that the 324 Indonesian athletes competing in the event will give their best performance and secure achievements.

According to Maharani, the achievements of Indonesian para athletes will advance the world of sports in Indonesia.

“With the support of the community, we hope that the Indonesian contingent can become the overall champion at the ASEAN Para Games this time,” she added.

She said she believes that Indonesia has a big chance of excelling at the ASEAN Para Games because the potential of Indonesian athletes is very good and the Indonesian contingent has a number of athletes who have experience competing in the Paralympics.

It is hoped that this year’s Para Games will have a positive impact on the people of Solo and its surrounding areas, especially in terms of the economy, she added.

“Hopefully, the ASEAN Para Games will not only be useful for the development of sports for friends with disabilities, but also be able to move the economy of the community, especially those at the venue,” she said.

The Para Games will begin on July 30, 2022. The torch relay to welcome participating contingents from Southeast Asian countries was held on Sunday (July 24).

Athletes at the ASEAN Para Games XI will compete in 14 sports branches, including badminton, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball, and para-athletics.

The competitions will take place at 14 venues prepared in Solo city, Karanganyar district, Sukoharjo district, and Semarang city.

At least 2,309 participants consisting of 1,648 athletes and 661 officials from 11 countries in the Southeast Asian region are scheduled to participate in this year’s Para Games.

 

Source: Antara News

Posted on

Smallpox vaccine can protect against monkeypox: health minister

Smallpox vaccines are still considered effective in protecting recipients against monkeypox, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said.

“The monkeypox (virus) is in the same genus as the smallpox (virus). (The efficacy of the) smallpox (vaccine) is different from the COVID-19 (vaccine), which declines in six months,” he pointed out after launching the SatuSehat Platform here Tuesday.

The smallpox vaccine can protect recipients and enable them to produce antibodies throughout their lifetime, he noted.

“Thus, for those who have been vaccinated against smallpox, they are quite protected (from monkeypox). In addition, there will be an antiviral therapy for the treatment (of patients),” he added.

He said that administering the smallpox vaccine is one of the efforts made by his ministry to curb the transmission of monkeypox, which has so far infected 16 thousand people in 75 countries and has the potential to become a global epidemic.

Other efforts have included the enforcement of the health protocols, the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, as well as the procurement of adequate medicines for treatment.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) (has also) advised the same (measures),” the minister noted.

The Health Ministry has provided 500 units of monkeypox PCR test kits for surveillance purposes at various entry points across Indonesia and is planning to import additional test kids, which will be disbursed to all provinces in July 2022.

Currently, the monkeypox vaccine is not available in Indonesia, Sadikin informed.

Hence, his ministry is striving to provide the drugs required to treat monkeypox patients.

He appealed to the public to not worry too much regarding the risk of monkeypox transmission in Indonesia since the disease is quite easy for health workers to diagnose directly—even with unaided eyes — through symptoms on the skin of infected persons.

“Thus, you do not have to worry; this (the monkeypox) will only spread after the symptoms appear —quite different to COVID-19, which can be transmitted although (the patients are) asymptomatic,” he emphasized.

The transmission of the disease requires physical contact with the bodily fluids of infected patients, he added.

As of Tuesday (July 26, 2022), the ministry has recorded no monkeypox cases in Indonesia.

 

Source: Antara News

Proudly powered by WordPress