According to Rabithah Ma’ahid Islamiyah (RMI), an institution under Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the umbrella organization of NU pesantren, at least 207 clerics at 110 pesantren nationwide have died of COVID-19 as of Dec. 8.

RMI chairman Abdul Ghofarrozin said the coronavirus threatened the wellbeing of pesantren as well as clerics, and the government had yet to perform optimally to safeguard citizens.

“The indicators including suboptimal coordination among [government] agencies or ministries with regard to handling COVID-19 at pesantren, limited education and information about [the spread of the coronavirus] at pesantren and public communication that is unfavorable to pesantren, especially when virus clusters emerge at pesantren,” Abdul said in a statement as quoted by kompas.id on Saturday. 

He went on to say that pesantren in several regions of the country faced difficulties in receiving polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19, access to basic medical services, including doctors and health facilities, as well as proper isolation facilities. 

Therefore, Abdul said, he hoped the government would be “more serious” in addressing the matter by applying an integrated mechanism -- from prevention to mitigation -- for COVID-19 handling at pesantren. 

Fakhrur Rozi, an administrator at the Pondok Pesantren An-Nur 1 Bululawang boarding school in Malang, East Java, said a proper mitigation approach was one of the important things that needed attention to curb the virus spread at pesantren. The needed mitigation included better access and facilities to medical treatment to quickly respond to a case.

Popular

BREAKING: BI Governor Perry Warjiyo resigns

Jakarta library reopens to packed rooms, long queues

Indonesia seeks better US tariff terms after 10% forced-labor duty