President Director of PT Kimia Farma Apotek Nurtjahjo Walujo Wibowo handed out 2,750 packages for healthcare workers -- nurses, ambulance staff, funeral attendants, and others -- at the Pelindo Husada Citra Hospital (PHC), Surabaya, on Monday, July 19 2021. The 2,750 other packages were for PT Nusantara Sebelas Medika that supervised several hospitals in Malang.
The allocated packages for East Java were the first tranche of assistance from Kimia Farma and its subsidiary under their program, 'Us with Healthcare Workers Movement', to demonstrate that SOEs cared for the well-being of healthcare workers on the frontlines in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Package containing Fituno Blister 3x10 is expected to boost the immunity of healthcare workers, such as ambulance staff, funeral attendants, and nurses. They are a high-risk group that come in contact with COVID-19 patients and corpses," Wibowo stated during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Wibowo further noted that the "Us with Healthcare Workers Movement" will be carried out from July to August 2021. The program was a form of concern over the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, as well as a form of support by Kimia Farma and the public to healthcare workers operating on the frontlines.
"When COVID-19 patients are coming with various conditions, the doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, and hospital janitors are important figures (standing on) the frontlines. Even funeral attendants and grave diggers (are) facing the real, unseen enemy," Wibowo stated.
"They are facing the real threat. Saving lives while betting on their own lives," he remarked.
Wibowo believes this joint work of Kimia Farma and the public was rather insignificant.
"We realized that healthcare workers play an important role, especially during a pandemic such as this. They need extra protection to keep their immunity up during their duties. Hopefully, this small step from KFA would ease their burden," Wibowo stated.
Apart from Surabaya and Malang, the supplements and vitamins packages would also be distributed across Indonesia, Wibowo remarked.
Kimia Farma also welcomed the public keen on working hand-in-hand to assist and laud the major duties of healthcare workers.
KFA is working along with another subsidiary, PT Kimia Farma Diagnostika (KFD), to allocate the aid. The packages will be offered once per week to healthcare workers in red and black COVID-19 zones.
On the same occasion, President Director of PHC Hospital Abdul Rofid Fanany believes that the aid should be supported in order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This aid would be so helpful for us because, this second wave, like it or not, is more dangerous. We used to have 105 beds, with the occupancy rate at about 80 to 85 percent. Thereafter, 140 beds were added, yet (those were) still not sufficient. Sometimes, (the number of patients) exceed 140, (and the figure) does not include those queuing up at Emergency waiting for rooms. At any rate, (at the moment) almost every day, our beds are full," he noted.
President Director of Nusamed Dr Titin Amrih Wilujeng also highlighted the same aspect. Her group expressed gratitude to KFA for the support in form of supplements and vitamins for healthcare workers.
"This is part of the support that shows we are not alone. May KFA always stride further for the sake of Indonesia's immunity," she noted. (*)
