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Jakarta provides living quarters, shuttles for 'front-liners' in battle against COVID-19
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A medical worker checks equipment in a treatment room at a temporary COVID-19 hospital in Kemayoran Atlet Villages in Central Jakarta on March 3, 2020. (Kompas/Pool/Heru Sri Kumoro)
T
he Jakarta administration has provided special accommodation for doctors and nurses in the capital to support those on the front line in the fight against COVID-19.
A total of 220 rooms with 414 beds have been prepared for the medical workers in the Grand Cempaka Business Hotel managed by city-owned enterprise PT Jakarta Tourisindo (Jaktour).
“The medical workers handling COVID-19 patients are the front-liners in the battle against the coronavirus. They are helping the people in this time of crisis while braving great risks to their health. We must fully support them and help them,” Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said on Thursday in a written statement.
Of the country’s 893 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 78 fatalities reported as of Thursday afternoon, 515 cases were recorded in Jakarta, which also had the highest number of deaths with 46.
Cases of infections continued to rise in the capital city — the epicenter of the country's COVID-19 outbreak — with hospitals scrambling to treat more patients each day as reports emerged that medical workers faced strain with short supplies of protective gear in both referral and regular hospitals.
Jakarta's COVID-19 task force chief Catur Laswanto said the city had provided medical workers with decent quarters so that they could take some rest calmly and comfortably without having to return home after long hours in the hospital.
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“They don’t have to travel far to go back home. Their families would be relieved too if their medical worker-relatives were given this facility to ease their work in handling COVID-19,” he added.
A total of 138 medical workers from Tarakan General Hospital and Pasar Minggu General Hospital moved into the Grand Cempaka Business Hotel on Thursday. Hundreds more will follow, Catur said.
The hotel is equipped specifically to cater to the medical workers’ needs, as each room will be routinely disinfected. Disinfectant chambers are also available at the entrance and exit door.
Authorities have also provided 15 Transjakarta buses and 50 school buses to shuttle medical workers.
Anies mentioned that the initiative was the work of many parties including the Jakarta-based Muslim philanthropic organization Dompet Dhuafa and city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya, which provided the disinfectant chambers, as well as Foodstation Jakarta, the Jakarta Bank, milk brand Diamond, Terra Restaurant and the Indonesian Food Service Association as the food donors.
“Don’t let medical workers fight alone. Let’s support them and help them,” Anies said.
The Jakarta administration is currently preparing three more hotels to cater to medical workers under Jaktour, with a total capacity of around 700 rooms. (aly)
