Day: October 13, 2022

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Ministry inspects Kanjuruhan Stadium, reviews safety aspects

The Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry conducted a technical evaluation of Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang District, East Java Province, and highlighted a number of aspects related to spectator safety.

“The results of the (audit) team’s evaluation (on the stadium) highlight seven findings, three (of which) are directly related to the (Kanjuruhan stampede) incident,” PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono informed here on Thursday.

The first finding is regarding the steps provided in the grandstand area, he said. In the economy class tribune, there are no stairs for spectators’ access. There is only storeyed seating for them, without a single seat in the tribune.

The second finding is related to the doors at the stadium. The doors — which are of two types: sliding doors and swinging doors — are too close to the access stairs from the grandstand area, the minister added.

“When people go down from the stairs, they go straight to the door. Thus, in a panic condition, and maybe it was dark (as the Kanjuruhan incident occurred at night), it was possible (for the people) to (accidentally) fall because the steps were steep and non-standard ones,” the minister observed.

In addition, there is no emergency exit at the stadium that can be accessed by spectators, he noted. The stadium has only a service firefightersdoor that can be used by ambulances or firefighters.

“There are six doors for ambulances or firefighters. Although the doors are big, as you can enter them with a car, however, they are not accessible for the spectators in the stands,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the other four evaluation results are related to lighting, inappropriate toilet facilities for spectators, an inadequate spectator perimeter buffer zone, as well as guardrails that supporters can easily jump over.

The evaluation was based on Government Regulation Number 16 of 2021 on buildings as well as the Regulation of the Youth and Sports Minister Number 7 of 2021 regarding infrastructure and facility standards for soccer stadiums and fields.

“In addition, it also refers to the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Stadium Guideline. Those are what we used to evaluate this stadium,” Hadimuljono said.

 

Source: Antara News

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SOEs Ministry continuing to consolidate health ecosystem: Thohir

The State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry is continuing to consolidate the national health ecosystem, including the research and development (R&D) sector, which is considered to be lagging compared to other countries, Minister Erick Thohir said.

“R&D has an important role in the development of the domestic health ecosystem. As you have seen earlier, we also cooperate the seeds of vaccines with other countries, with all production from us, the domestic component level (TKDN) is up to 90 percent. I hope that future R&D would be in Indonesia,” he informed during the launch of the domestically made COVID-19 vaccine, Indovac, in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday.

The minister has assigned state-owned pharmaceutical company Kimia Farma to produce affordable medicines for the community just like Indo Farma is doing in herbal development.

He said he is optimistic that focus mapping within the pharmaceutical holding will help reduce Indonesia’s dependence on imports of raw materials, which currently stand at 90 percent.

“Until now, our distribution companies are also separated; this must be consolidated to make it more efficient and reach a wider network,” he added.

Thohir is also expanding Kimia Farma’s retail stores, whose number is currently at just 1,300. Based on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kimia Farma retailers have proven capable of intervening in mask pricing during an imbalance in the market.

“We will also improve health services through telemedicine. We will synergize clinics and hospitals and improve their quality, similar to when we intervened in the needs of an international hospital, which will be inaugurated in 2024; we will have a world-class cancer hospital,” he said.

The IndoVac vaccine is the result of a collaboration between an SOEs pharmaceutical holding and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), he highlighted.

The pharmaceutical holding also signed a partnership with British pharmaceutical company ProFactor Pharma at the Indonesian Embassy in London some time ago, he added.

Under the collaboration, Bio Farma will get exclusive rights for the joint development of Recombinant Factor VIII (ProFactor and Bio Farma) blood products globally.

“We are working together on R&D, but, of course, the license and brand are ours. Yesterday, we also signed (a pact on) the hemophilia vaccine, which is blood viscosity (control agent),” Thohir disclosed.

He further stated that Indonesia has become a hub for global vaccines. Under their agreement, ProFactor Pharma will distribute vaccines to Europe and America, and Indonesia to Asia, Africa, and others. The cooperation is an example that the government will continue to push forward.

 

Source: Antara News

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Govt, agencies to launch task force to transform national football

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Asian Football Confederation (AFC), All Indonesia Football Association (PSSI), and the Indonesian government have agreed to form a task force to transform football following the Kanjuruhan tragedy.

“This task force will consist of experts in football, stadium security, safety, and so on,” PSSI Chairperson Mochamad Iriawan informed here on Thursday.

Government institutions in the football transformation task force will include the Youth and Sports Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, and the National Police (Polri), he said.

The Youth and Sports Ministry will be in charge of handling sports issues at the task force, while the Public Works Ministry will take care of the nationwide audit of stadiums.

The Home Ministry will help coordinate with stadiums in Indonesia, which are mostly owned by local governments. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry will prepare standard health regulations for competitions.

Furthermore, the National Police will synchronize its vision with FIFA in terms of security procedures at football matches.

“Polri will synchronize with FIFA. Next, there will be a follow-up meeting between Polri and FIFA regarding FIFA’s rules,” Iriawan revealed.

The name of the task force will be determined during a meeting between FIFA, AFC, and PSSI in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will be later reported to the Indonesian government.

In general, the task force will discuss an action plan and timeline for resolving issues related to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for stadium security and safety.

Earlier, the Indonesian government had outlined five steps for transforming national football: setting a safe stadium security standard; implementing international-based security basic protocol, educating and conducting discussions with football clubs in Indonesia, including representatives of supporters, to take suggestions and draw joint commitments; ensuring match scheduling considers the existing risks; and providing mentoring from related experts.

 

Source: Antara News

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Govt covering treatment costs of patients with unidentified diseases

The treatment costs of patients suffering from acute diseases with unidentified causes are being covered by the Indonesian government, President Director of state-run Health Social Security Insurance (BPJS Kesehatan) Ghufron Mukti has informed.

“As long as it is medically indicated, BPJS Kesehatan covers the treatment cost of patients with diseases that are still considered to be mysterious,” he said here on Thursday.

BPJS members who suffer from unidentified diseases must opt for treatment procedures that are in accordance with BPJS Kesehatan’s mechanism, he added.

This includes visiting the local public health center (puskesmas) and asking for a referral letter, if a hospital visit is needed.

“Emergency patients do not need referral letters and can ask for ambulance’s help, if necessary,” he said.

As long as the procedure laid by BPJS Kesehatan is followed, members have the right to have their treatment costs covered by the government until they recover, he informed.

According to the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), there has been an increase in the number of cases of mysterious acute kidney disorder in the past two months since January 2022.

There has been a spike in cases with more than 100 children suffering from the disorder, whose cause has not been identified.

Secretary of the nephrology coordination work unit (UKK) of IDAI, Eka Laksmi Hidayati, noted that there are 14 provinces that have reported cases of mysterious acute kidney disorder so far.

The provinces comprise Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Bali, East Kalimantan, Aceh, Jambi, South Sulawesi, and East Nusa Tenggara.

The disorder is generally seen in infants and children under five and eight.

Further, the Health Ministry has detected a total of 91 acute hepatitis cases with unknown causes in patients under the age of 16 years in 22 provinces as of September 16, 2022.

“There are 11 people who died, or 26 percent, and 22 people, or 52.3 percent, who recovered,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Mohammad Syahril, informed.

 

Source: Antara News

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Ministry to submit Kanjuruhan audit report to President promptly

The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing will report the results of the ongoing audit of Kanjuruhan Stadium to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as soon as the review is completed, a ministry official has said.

“The audit report is part of our steps to improve stadium security and construction reliability,” Secretary of the ministry’s Directorate General of Human Settlement Riono Suprapto informed at a press conference here on Thursday.

The ministry’s technical evaluation team has been working on auditing the Kanjuruhan stadium in the past week, he said.

The team is examining and testing various aspects of the stadium to ensure a comprehensive audit, which will become a reference for auditing other stadiums, he added.

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, is currently in Malang to monitor the audit process himself, he said.

“The minister will preside over the evaluation for the next one or two days,” Suprapto added.

He expressed the hope that the ministry audit report will serve as a catalyst for the improvement of stadiums in Indonesia.

“Therefore, all Indonesian stadiums in the future will be safe and comfortable, and we can enjoy all matches organized by the PSSI (Football Association of Indonesia), either Liga 1 or other events,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, PSSI Chairperson Mochamad Iriawan said that safety and security improvements will be undertaken at Kanjuruhan Stadium in consultation with Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Besides FIFA’s chief consultant for stadium safety and security, Serge Dumotier, AFC’s safety and security chief, Brian Johnson, and deputy chief of AFC’s safety and security task force, Dell Akbar Khan, will also assist Indonesia in reforming national football, he added.

“We receive many comprehensive inputs. God Willing, with constant assistance, our national football would be better,” Iriawan said.

 

Source: Antara News

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Ministry monitoring treatment of Kanjuruhan victims

The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture is continuously monitoring the treatment of victims of a stampede that broke out at Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang District, East Java Province, on October 1, 2022.

“The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture is committed to prioritizing patients that are still being treated in the ICU and are still in the recovery process at the hospital,” the ministry’s deputy for the coordination of health quality improvement and population development, Agus Suprapto, informed here on Thursday.

He said that the government has also ensured that the treatment costs of all the victims of the tragedy are covered.

According to him, the free treatment has been coordinated with the regional government.

Suprapto appealed to those experiencing pain due to the tragedy to report it.

“Later, the treatment cost will be covered by the government,” he stressed.

The ministry will continue with its monitoring to ensure that all the victims are treated free of charge.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy emphasized that the government is covering the treatment costs of all Kanjuruhan victims.

“All the treatment is 100 percent free, without charge,” he said.

The minister added that he had received a report regarding a patient who had been charged for treatment.

“Earlier, I was told that there was a patient who had already been charged by the hospital. I asked for proof of payment to be sent, to be forwarded to the hospital to be canceled, and (the money to) be returned,” he explained.

The Kanjuruhan crowd crush occurred when some Arema FC supporters stormed the pitch after their team lost to their biggest rival, Persebaya Surabaya, by 2-3 on the evening of October 1. Security officers tried to dismiss the rioters by firing tear gas.

The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 132 people and left hundreds of people injured.

 

Source: Antara News

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Language and Literature Month to mark Youth Pledge Day

A Language and Literature Month will be observed to commemorate the Youth Pledge Day, which falls on October 28, Head of the Language Development and Fostering Agency E. Aminudin Aziz informed here on Thursday.

“It is right that the Language Month will be held to commemorate Youth Pledge Day, when things related to Indonesia (unity) are proclaimed,” Aziz said at a Merdeka Belajar (Freedom in Learning) online discussion on “Strengthening Language, Glorifying Literature.”

He explained that in the 1928 Youth Pledge, Indonesian youth proclaimed one motherland, one nation, and one language, which is Bahasa Indonesia or Indonesian.

To that end, he said the observance of the Language and Literature Month every October is relevant for maintaining the spirit of unity.

“This preservation (of unity) must always be remembered and disseminated,” he emphasized.

He revealed that the Language and Literature Month will have four main activities: a discussion forum, an award forum, a competition forum, and an information-sharing session.

The discussion forum will involve book reviews and discussions, while the award forum will give the highest appreciation to people working in the field of Indonesian literature and local literature, he informed.

Furthermore, the competition forum will cover the selection of duta bahasa (language ambassadors), poetry musicalization, quizzes, book reviews, and storytelling using sign language.

“Why is the sign language included? Because we want to be more inclusive. We want to invite persons with disabilities,” Aziz said.

Lastly, the information-sharing session will be carried out through “Menjalin Indonesia,” a program from the Language Development Agency that aims to introduce the characteristics of language and literacy development programs at each language office and center’s work area in the regions.

“’Menjalin Indonesia’ presents programs that exist in the regions, how they present themselves to the public; what has been done with the community, government, and language centers and offices,” Aziz informed.

 

Source: Antara News

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Green economy can help solve social, demographic challenges: BRIN

The implementation of the green economy can help overcome the social and demographic challenges in Indonesia, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has said.

“The green economy will encourage the development of green industries, which implement the principles of efficiency in their production process as well as effectiveness in the use of inclusive, sustainable natural resources,” a researcher at BRIN’s Research Center for Population, Sari Seftriani, underlined here on Thursday.

While implementing the green economy, it is important to produce environmentally friendly products as well as apply eco-designs, eco-friendly technologies, low-emission recycling processes, energy conservation, and clean production, she said.

“In addition, (green economy includes) economic practices supported by local wisdom,” she added.

Hence, the involvement of the community is important in implementing the green economy paradigm as it can increase the welfare of the community and help preserve the environment, the researcher said.

According to the results of Statistics Indonesia (BPS) and BRIN’s collaborative research, the development of the green economy in Indonesia has not involved the nation’s demographic assets optimally. In addition, it is still project-driven, not well organized, and conducted on a small scale, she informed.

The current implementation of the green economy in Indonesia mostly emphasizes the shift toward high and sophisticated technology as well as the improvement of human resources’ capacity to adapt to advanced technology, she noted.

According to Seftriani, the green economy development in Indonesia needs to bolster three important aspects.

The first one is intergenerational wisdom. The green economy transition in Indonesia requires intergenerational dialogue to fill the knowledge gap and carry out knowledge brokering between the younger and older generation to support the acceleration and sustainability of the green economy.

The second aspect is the involvement of social institutions that will support and optimize green economic development in Indonesia, for which there is currently limited capital.

The third is introducing the right technology to avoid additional burden while implementing the green economy transition.

For instance, the application of pyrolysis technology in the waste management sector to process plastic waste into diesel fuel has not been running optimally because the cost of buying fuel for the processing machine is more expensive than the selling price of the diesel fuel produced.

 

Source: Antara News

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