Category: Self Care

Palembang, South Sumatra (ANTARA) – The South Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) intensified efforts to dampen peatlands to reduce damage from wildfires during the peak of the August dry season throughout the province.

“We have received reports of conflagrations engulfing tens of hectares of peatlands. If we delay the land wetting process, more peatlands will burn, and smog disasters may ensue,” South Sumatra BPBD Emergency Mitigation Department Head Ansori stated in Palembang on Monday.

The BPBD had earlier dispatched its personnel to engage, on land and in the air, to map farms, forests and peatlands at high risk of wildfires, with support from the regional wildfire mitigation joint task force, Ansori said.

Dry areas and areas tagged as hot spots are dampened by using the closest water sources, such as rivers or lakes, and extinguishing efforts are done to areas currently engulfed in flames, he added. By taking those mitigation steps, Ansori expected wildfires that occurred within recent months could be controlled without causing a conflagration affecting hundreds of hectares of land and resulting in smog disasters.

Based on recent data, some 90 hectares of peatlands in the region are currently on fire, with regions affected by wildfires including Ogan Ilir, Banyuasin, Musi Banyuasin, Pali, and Ogan Komering Ulu Districts.

To prevent wildfires from spreading, the agency also expected residents to assist in guarding peatland, farms, and forests located close to their homes.

“By those efforts, we hope South Sumatra’s forests, peatlands, and farms are saved from wildfires and smog disasters could be averted during the peak of the dry season on this year,” Ansori added.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has dispatched 122 health personnel to Yogyakarta to support COVID-19 handling efforts in the province.

The personnel took off for Yogyakarta on board two C130 transport planes from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, East Jakarta, on Monday.

The deployment of the health personnel was ordered by Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander, Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, to aid COVID-19 handling in five locations in Yogyakarta — the city of Yogyakarta, and districts of Bantul, Sleman, Kulon Progo, and Gunung Kidul.

While leading the departure ceremony, head of the military health center, Mayor General Ratmono, said that the continued deployment to Yogyakarta was an honor for the TNI health personnel.

“The country really needs your energy and dedication because you are the front liners in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country,” Ratmono was quoted by a press statement as saying. “On behalf of the TNI Commander, I express my appreciation, gratitude, and high appreciation,” he remarked.

The TNI is committed to assisting the government in accelerating vaccinations by mobilizing all its capabilities to slow down the spread of COVID-19 in the country, he added.

Among those deployed to Yogyakarta are 88 general practitioners (GP), 11 dentists, 4 nurses, 8 pharmacists, 2 physiotherapists, 1 radiologist, and 3 nutritionists, he informed.

They also include 1 electromedical technician, 2 medical analysts, 1 medical record officer, and 1 dental nurse who have completed their duties in Greater Jakarta areas, he added.

The first case of COVID-19 in Indonesia was confirmed in March 2020.

According to data released by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), 3,686,740 people had been confirmed positive for COVID-19 and 3,129,661 people had recovered from the infection in the country so far.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – A pediatrician at the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital Dr. Himawan Aulia Rahman has reminded the public of the importance of providing vitamin A to children during the pandemic.

“Why is it important? Because vitamin A deficiency is quite high in developing countries, such as Indonesia. Vitamin A deficiency happens among 30 percent of children under the age of 5 throughout the world,” Rahman told ANTARA on Monday.

Rahman noted that vitamin A is very important for our eyes to prevent Xeropththalmia disease and is not produced by our bodies.

In addition, consuming vitamin A is important for cells that play a role in the development of our body.

Rahman said that vitamin A deficiency causes blindness in 500,000 pre-school children throughout the world each year.

“There is a research that shows routinely providing vitamin A for children in vitamin A deficiency endemic regions could reduce the number of deaths from five to 15 percent,” noted Rahman.

However, Rahman added that over-consumption of vitamin A is not recommended since it can result in poisoning.

For children who are exposed to COVID-19, vitamin A still has to be given. Parents can request vitamin A capsules in the nearest public health facilities, which then can be given to their children at home.

However, Rahman said it remains important to check the condition of both children and parents first.

“If the parents are also infected with COVID, then the rest of the family need to self-isolate. The vitamin A provision can be delayed until the isolation is over,” he said.

Nonetheless, Rahman underlined that this delay can not last for too long. Providing vitamin A has to be done within a month.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Association of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Organisers (Amphuri) has appealed to the Saudi Arabian authorities to rescind a suspension order on Indonesian pilgrims, which prevents them from traveling directly by flight to the country.

“Indonesian pilgrims are currently being inconvenienced by the suspension status from the Saudi authority, enforced to all Indonesian pilgrims from February 3 this year,” Amphuri chairperson Firman M Nur stated in Jakarta on Monday.

Despite the Saudi Hajj authority announcing that it will gradually accept new Hajj and Umrah applications from foreigners, Indonesian travelers will not be able to travel directly from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia due to their suspended status, he noted.

He appealed to President Joko Widodo and the ministries to lobby the Saudi authority to rescind the suspension and allow direct flights from Indonesia to the country.

Indonesia’s status as the country with the largest Muslim population and the friendship between the two countries should be considered as supporting factors while seeking the revocation of the suspension order, Nur said.

“We hope the relevant ministries could lobby the Saudi authority to rescind their suspension order on Indonesia, thus allowing Indonesian pilgrims to visit the Holy Cities,” he added.

The Saudi authority has barred residents from nine countries from traveling by direct flight to Saudi Arabia — Argentina, Brasil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, and South Africa.

Residents of the nine countries are currently required to undergo a 14-day quarantine in a third country before continuing their travel to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi authorities are only admitting pilgrims who have completed their vaccination, and recognize only four vaccines — AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson&Johnson.

Pilgrims receiving other vaccines such as Sinovac or Sinopharm are only allowed entry into Saudi Arabia if they get at least one dose of the four vaccines it recognizes.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Government must consider the death rate and data on coronavirus transmission and public health response from cities and districts to take a call on further extending public activity restrictions (PPKM), a scholar has said.

“Current public activities restrictions will end tonight on August 9, 2021. There are some things that need to be considered (before the government chooses to ease them),” Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama from University of Indonesia said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Monday.

The first thing to consider is the number of deaths caused by COVID-19, he said. At the beginning of the enforcement of the emergency community activity restrictions, the daily death toll stood at 491. The number has currently tripled to 1,500 per day.

Indonesia’s positivity rate currently stands at 25 percent — 10 times higher than India’s positivity rate, which is 2.7 percent, he pointed out.

On the other hand, the bed occupancy rate at isolation and emergency rooms has declined, he added.

New COVID-19 cases in some regions of Java declined ever since community activity restrictions were enforced, he noted.

The second thing that needs to be considered before easing the PPKM policy is data from districts or cities on community transmission and the public health response, Aditama said. “In districts/cities where these two aspects have improved, we can consider gradual easing with extreme caution,” he advised.

He stressed that the easing of PPKM must take account of strict evaluation and monitoring, and be adjusted if deemed necessary.

“The (policy) easing of an area must consider areas that are directly adjacent to it,” Aditama said.

Three basic principles need to be reinforced while easing PPKM — social restrictions, testing, and tracing according to targets, he added.

“Besides that, the target for vaccination must also be reached,” he stressed.

The authorities must also aim to focus maximum efforts to reduce the mortality rate and implement good risk-communication, he said. These would be part of the collective efforts made by the government and field practitioners, who also need to conduct valid and complete scientific analyses for decision-making, he added.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia continues its fight against novel coronavirus that has claimed the lives of at least 104,010 citizens since this deadly virus hit the country in March 2020.

As of August 6, 2021, Indonesia’s total number of confirmed cases was recorded at 3,607,863 while there were 39,532 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to the government’s data.

Despite the country’s high infection rate, the number of people recovering from COVID-19 has climbed to 2,996,478 on Friday (Aug 6) compared to that of July 12, 2021 which was recorded at 2,084,724.

The government’s data revealed that at least 507,375 people with COVID-19 syndromes remain hospitalized.

In dealing with this challenging situation, President Joko Widodo has repeatedly appealed to the entire nation to strengthen the spirit of “gotong royong” (mutual cooperation) in communities.

The government cannot work alone to cope with the impacts of this global pandemic of COVID-19 on public health and economy. Instead, through the spirit of “gotong royong”, members of community help one another.

President Joko Widodo’s calls for caring more for one another during the COVID-19 pandemic have received positive responses from various elements in the society at large. Indonesia’s top youtuber and film actor, Baim Wong, for instance, has actively got involved in a caring and sharing movement since the early days of this COVID-19 pandemic.

As can be watched on videos that his official youtube channel “Baim Paula” regularly releases to public, Baim Wong helps so many ordinary people, like ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers and street vendors, because they are among those suffering from the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.

The caring and sharing movements have also been carried out by companies and members of parliament.

In July this year, public-listed tire manufacturer PT Gajah Tunggal Tbk and the Endeavor Peaceful Indonesia (UID) Foundation donated two thousand tons of liquid oxygen to the Health Ministry to fortify Indonesia’s efforts to tackle a COVID-19 case surge.

State-run Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) in Central Jakarta became the first recipient of the donated oxygen as published on the Indonesian Health Ministry’s official website.

Under the first phase, 20 tons of liquid oxygen were provided to RSCM, which is known as Indonesia’s national referral center for government hospitals and a leading hospital education.

The symbolic handover of donation was done by Gajah Tunggal President Director Sugeng Rahardjo and UID Foundation head, Handaka Santosa, to RSCM President Director Lies Dina Liastuti during a ceremony on July 12.

According to the ministry, for the subsequent phases, some 200 tons of the donated liquid oxygen were distributed on a monthly basis to hospitals experiencing a shortage of medical oxygen in the islands of Java and Bali.

Patron of Jakarta-based Al Azhar Youth Leader Institute (AYLI) Sariat Arifia praised companies and organizations that have extended assistance to the Indonesian government to fulfill a major demand in medical oxygen to save COVID-19 patients.

“I reiterate President Joko Widodo’s call for the importance of fostering the spirit of ‘gotong royong’ or mutual cooperation in battling COVID-19 because it is the key to tackling the pandemic,” Arifia told ANTARA.

To this end, the contribution made by public-listed tire manufacturer PT Gajah Tunggal Tbk and other companies to the government’s endeavors to ensure the availability of oxygen for COVID-19 patients was laudable.

“The government cannot work alone to fight the spread of COVID-19. Stop debating and criticizing. Instead, please do and share whatever we have to help battle the pandemic. Indonesia does need it now,” Arifia emphasized.

Legislators representing the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) also join the caring and sharing movement to ease the burden on Indonesians severely affected by the pandemic’s impacts.

They allow their August salaries to get deducted to assist self-isolating COVID-19 patients and households in dire need.

The deduction of the PKS legislators’ salaries for COVID-19 relief program was announced by Head of the PKS Faction at the House of Representatives (DPR) Jazuli Juwaini in a press statement that ANTARA received on Sunday.

“The deduction is made effective for the August salary. The PKS faction has repeatedly ordered its members’ salaries to be deducted since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Indonesia last year,” he said.

For this month, the funds would be used to buy staple food and meal packages for those suffering from the impacts of COVID-19, including self-isolating COVID-19 patients, Juwaini said.

The second wave of coronavirus infections that has hit the country over the past two months has made lots of people severely suffer. Children get orphaned after their parents succumb to COVID-19, he said.

In dealing with this worrisome situation, the PKS Faction at DPR has repeatedly urged the government to prioritize people’s safety, and improve Indonesia’s healthcare system and services.

At the same time, the government must also provide and distribute its social aid packages to those in dire need based on reliable recipient data, he added.

The PKS Central Executive Board has also instructed all cadres across Indonesia to assist those suffering from the pandemic because many of them do not get access to the government’s social aid program.

“That is why, the PKS faction agains orders its legislators all over Indonesia to let their salaries get deducted,” he said.

The initiative is also part of the party’s social solidarity, empathy, and spirit of “gotong royong” (mutual cooperation) as many elements in the society at large also show their same thing during the pandemic, he said.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Lieutenant General Ganip Warsito raised the spirits of COVID-19 patients under isolation in Pekanbaru, Riau Province, and advised them to think positively and remain optimistic.

“Keep healthy and get well soon. The key to recovery is to maintain immunity, stay safe and remain optimistic,” Warsito said in a written statement received here on Sunday.

He made the statement while visiting COVID-19 patients at the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) building in Pekanbaru City.

“We must always pray and believe that we will recover,” said Warsito.

BPSDM is one of the government facilities used for handling COVID-19 patients since last September 2020.

The building managed by the provincial government was converted into an isolation facility for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.

“Keep your mind, keep the spirit,” he said, before leaving the facility.

Citra Iskandar, one of the doctors at the facility, said three doctors were readied in the facility, that has also provided medical oxygen, medicines and nutritious food for patients.

In addition to BPSDM building, the local government has also prepared five other isolation facilities, including the Education Quality Assurance Agency (LPMP) building, Health Training Center and hajj dormitory to accommodate COVID-19 patients.

For hajj dormitory, the 513-bed capacity facility is provided for self-isolated patients with moderate symptoms.

The Pekanbaru City Government has also operated low-cost apartment as a place of isolation.

The total capacity of isolation facilities in the Riau Province is 1,092 beds.

Meanwhile, data from Riau Province COVID-19 Task Force as of August 6, 2021 recorded a total of 105,125 COVID-19 cases in all districts and cities, with the highest number recorded in Pekanbaru City as many as 43,734 cases or 41.6 percent of the total cases in the province.

Out of all the administrative districts and cities in the province, only the Meranti Islands District is in the moderate risk zone for COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, other administrative areas are in high risk zones for COVID-19 cases.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Legislators representing the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) let their August salaries be deducted to assist self-isolating COVID-19 patients and households severely affected by the pandemic.

The deduction of the PKS legislators’ salaries for COVID-19 relief program was announced by Head of the PKS Faction at the House of Representatives (DPR) Jazuli Juwaini in a press statement that ANTARA received here Sunday.

“The deduction is made effective for the August salary. The PKS faction has repeatedly ordered its members’ salaries to be deducted since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Indonesia last year,” he said.

For this month, the funds would be used to buy staple food and meal packages for those suffering from the impacts of COVID-19, including self-isolating COVID-19 patients, Juwaini said.

The second wave of coronavirus infections that has hit the country over the past two months has made lots of people severely suffer. Children get orphaned after their parents succumb to COVID-19, he said.

In dealing with this worrisome situation, the PKS Faction at DPR has repeatedly urged the government to prioritize people’s safety, and improve Indonesia’s healthcare system and services.

At the same time, the government must also provide and distribute its social aid packages to those in dire need based on reliable recipient data, he added.

The PKS Central Executive Board has also instructed all cadres across Indonesia to assist those suffering from the pandemic because many of them do not get access to the government’s social aid program.

“That is why, the PKS faction agains orders its legislators all over Indonesia to let their salaries get deducted,” he said.

The initiative is also part of the party’s social solidarity, empathy, and spirit of “gotong royong” (mutual cooperation) as many elements in the society at large also show their same thing during the pandemic, he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic initially hit the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019 and subsequently spread across the globe, including to nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Indonesian government announced the nation’s first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.

Since then, the central and regional governments have made incessant efforts to flatten the nation’s coronavirus curve by applying healthcare protocols, and enforcing level 4 public activity restrictions.

As part of efforts to win the fight against COVID-19, the Indonesian government has been conducting a nationwide vaccination program to contain infections since January 13, 2021.

As of August 6, 2021, Indonesia’s total number of confirmed cases was recorded at 3,607,863 while there were 39,532 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to the government’s data.

Source: Antara News