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Tanoto Foundation donates 500 tons of oxygen for COVID-19 patients
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(Courtesy of Tanoto Foundation)
I
n support of Indonesia’s effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tanoto Foundation is donating 500 tons of oxygen to the country’s hospitals, which have been devastated by a severe shortage of the medical-grade gas for treating patients.
The foundation has partnered with PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP), a subsidiary of pulp and paper manufacturer APRIL Group based in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau, that has designated part of its facility for producing industrial oxygen to bleach pulp to produce medical oxygen instead.
Five total shipments containing 100 tons of oxygen each is to be sent from Pangkalan Kerinci to Jakarta, with the first shipment to depart on July 9. The Health Ministry will supervise the oxygen distribution to ensure that it reaches the hospitals that need it most.
Health Ministry data show that the surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks has coincided with a sharp increase in demand for medical oxygen, from 400 tons to 2,500 tons per day.
The Industry Ministry is also coordinating closely with several companies across various industries that have the capacity to produce medical oxygen, in a bid to ramp up the country’s oxygen supply for treating COVID-19 patients.
Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita expressed his appreciation for the Tanoto Foundation and RAPP.
Tanoto Foundation is an independent philanthropic organization founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981, and has previously partnered with the APRIL Group and RAPP on a number of programs for community development, human capital development and COVID-19 relief.
Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono also expressed his appreciation for the oxygen donation from Tanoto Foundation and the APRIL Group, particularly during the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases.
Dante acknowledged the gap between the oxygen production output in Java and the oxygen demand across Java and Bali, and that in this context, Tanoto Foundation’s donation was extremely appreciated by all stakeholders.
“Five hundred tons is not merely a number, and is rather about what we can do with those 500 tons [of oxygen] in reducing the number of deaths at hospitals, isolation facilities and homes,” he said during the inauguration of the first oxygen shipment.
“We thank Tanoto Foundation and the APRIL Group for providing oxygen to our hospitals in Java that are treating patients with serious to severe symptoms [of COVID-19]. The pandemic calls for the collective effort of all existing stakeholders such as the government, the private sector and the public,” he added.
Tanoto Foundation trustee Anderson Tanoto said the foundation felt an immediate duty to respond when it learned about hospitals facing a shortage of oxygen for COVID-19 patients, and it set about making arrangements for the rapid distribution of oxygen from RAPP to Java.
“I would like to express my gratitude for the support from the Industry Ministry and the Health Ministry, which have facilitated the transportation and distribution of oxygen to Java in less than 36 hours. We hope that the donation can contribute to the treatment of COVID-19 patients and save precious lives,” he said.
