Jakarta – Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has asked Indonesians to use masks outdoors to avoid respiratory illness caused by air pollution.
” We suggest a minimum of KF94 or KF95 masks since harmful PM 2.5 can get in the capillary,” Sadikin stated after attending a restricted conference held to talk about air pollution at the Presidential Palace here on Monday. The conference was led by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
The minister asked people experiencing discomfort in the breathing tract or other discomfort to right away check out the closest local university hospital ( puskesmas) or hospital.
” We will tell physicians about what sort of treatment (can minimize breathing illness caused by air pollution),” he said.
He included that his ministry will also collaborate with the Persahabatan General Health Center, which is the recommendation medical facility for the Greater Jakarta area.
” That method, people who check out the puskesmas or health centers (for breathing concerns), the medical diagnosis and treatment will be the same,” Sadikin said.
Throughout the limited conference, the minister provided a report to President Widodo about 6 respiratory diseases that can be caused by air contamination, namely pneumonia, acute respiratory infection (ARI), asthma, lung cancer, persistent lung disease, and tuberculosis.
He said that state health insurer BPJS Kesehatan will need to spend Rp10 trillion to fund treatment for respiratory diseases.
The Health Ministry has actually formed a committee for combating breathing illness and air pollution in response to aggravating air pollution levels of late.
Air contamination has actually increased ARI cases in Greater Jakarta to approximately 200 thousand each month, the minister notified.
The information was put together based on reports gotten from puskesmas and medical facilities in the past month.
The Ministry of Health and the committee are also conducting routine security each week to monitor the rate of ARI and pneumonia cases in puskesmas and health centers, in addition to the implementation of early alertness and response.
Related news: KPAI requires screening children’s health as air quality worsens
Related news: President asks Jakarta to speed up transition to EVs
Associated news: WFH policy created for ASEAN Top, not contamination control: minister
