A vice Speaker of the House, M. Azis Syamsuddin, said as the number of COVID-19 cases had continued to increase every day nationwide, the Indonesian House had acted quickly by forming a COVID-19 Task Force and delivering aids for COVID-19 relief efforts. The House had also formed Monitoring Team on Disaster Management.

Azis made that statement during a virtual dialog with the Indonesian Junior Doctor Network (JDN) discussing the development of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, at his office in Nusantara III building, Senayan, Jakarta on Sunday (17/5/2020). A Vice Chairperson of Commission IX (health, manpower, and demography) of the House, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena (Golkar Party Faction), also attended the dialogue as a source person. The dialogue was moderated by dr. Vito Damay and dr. Reisa Broto Asmoro.

“We promptly formed COVID-19 Task Force. Through the task force, we delivered personal protective equipment such as face masks and other protective gears. Besides that, we built public kitchens in Jakarta and its surrounding area to prepare meals for people in need,” stated the Leader of the House Coordinator for Politics and Security.

Syamsuddin stressed that the House’s COVID-19 Task Force was formed through fund raising from MPs so as not to impose more burden to the State Budget. “I would like to inform that the House has taken the lead in donating fund and collecting Corporate Social Responsibility fund to form COVID-19 Task Force. We do not use the State Budget,” Syamsuddin explained.

The Golkar Party politician from Lampung Province constituency said that the people’s awareness towards the transmission of COVID-19 virus was still low, especially in certain regions. Therefore, a solid cooperation between the House’s task force and the doctors joining JDN to disseminate information on COVID-19 and accelerate the containment of this pandemic is needed.

“In some regions, people’s awareness is still low. In my constituency for instance, they still gather and perform congregational tarawih (evening Ramadan prayers). Having aware of that kind of situation, it is time for the House’s task force and the members of JDN to perform their duties by disseminating information to help accelerate the handling of COVID-19.” Syamsuddin concluded.