JAKARTA, Mar 9, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Indonesia's government, through the State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Ministry, instructed government-owned hospitals in the Indonesian Healthcare Corporation (IHC) Pertamedika to establish crisis centers and isolation rooms during the emergency period to handle the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Ministry of SOE of Republic of Indonesia Erick Thohir

Moreover, the hospitals should be equipped with other medical supplies, including long-sleeves biohazard gowns, aprons, disposable head caps, N95 masks, safety goggles, gloves, and boots.

"State-owned hospitals are located in almost every area in Indonesia. Hence, crisis centers should be built as a precautionary measure against the emergence of patients suspected of having contracted the coronavirus," Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir noted in a statement received here, Monday.

Reports were received of at least six confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March 2. All six patients are being quarantined in Jakarta.

In response to the first few confirmed cases in Indonesia, IHC Pertamedika, a network of 65 state-owned hospitals across Indonesia, prepared supporting facilities and COVID-19 alert teams, as well as standard operational procedures to handle coronavirus cases.

Chief Executive Officer of IHC Pertamedia, Dr Fathema Djan Rachmat stated that negative pressure isolation rooms were prepared to handle the increasing number of patients.

"We are also considering the construction of a field hospital equipped with various treatment facilities for coronavirus patients," she stated.

Rachmat spoke of innovations made to the tracking system for suspected COVID-19 cases. The Chinese government has successfully applied such tracking systems.

"We are ready to conduct this simulation," she emphasized.

Furthermore, other SOEs have contributed to the efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country, including the SOE in the pharmaceutical field, Bio Farma, which has begun the research for a COVID-19 vaccine.

PT Angkasa Pura I and II, operational management companies of the country's airports, had prepared isolated parking areas for aircraft that came in from countries with confirmed coronavirus infections.

Meanwhile, SOEs in the transportation sector, including railway management company PT Kereta Api Indonesia, have activated their onboard clinics and inspections on several routes. -- Antara.

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