VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Pertamina officers distribute medical oxygen for people in need in several hospitals. (ANTARA/HO-Pertamina) - 

Pertamina Group has distributed 4,855 tons of medical oxygen to meet the needs of patients exposed to COVID-19 at 504 hospitals spread across 11 provinces namely Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, South Kalimantan, South Sumatra, Lampung and provinces on the island of Java.

Pertamina Senior Vice President Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Fajriyah Usman noted in a statement here, Friday, that her side will expand the distribution of oxygen to West Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, and Central Kalimantan.

"As of August 25, 2021, we have managed to distribute 4,855 tons of oxygen aid," Usman remarked.

Oxygen is transported and delivered through 31 ISO Tank trucks in 243 shipments.

During the oxygen distribution process, Pertamina fills oxygen at Linde's Filling Plants in Cilegon and Gresik and Air Liquid in Cilegon, Samator in Batam, and VDNIP in Kendari to be transported to Samator's Depo Point Storage spread across several areas.

Furthermore, oxygen is distributed to hospitals based on recommendations from the Ministry of Health. In addition, the company distributed oxygen directly to several hospitals on the island of Java.

"Pertamina has the mandate, as an SOE, to contribute to society, including the health sector," Usman stated.

In distributing the oxygen assistance, Usman remarked that the company had involved Gas Subholding (PT PGN Tbk., along with PT Pertamina Gas and PT Gagas), Commercial & Trading Subholding (PT Pertamina Patra Niaga and PT Patra Logistik), and PT Elnusa Petrofin.

In the implementation stage, Pertamina’s team, who are members of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Oxygen Handling, also coordinated closely with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of SOEs, Ministry of Industry, and Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs & Investment.

"We are synergizing with various components of the nation to support the government in providing and distributing oxygen for people going through the crisis period at hospitals due to exposure to COVID-19," she remarked//ANT

Indonesia received over 6 million vaccines, comprising 5 million doses from Sinovac in the form of finished products and over 1 million doses ​​​​​​from AstraZeneca, at the Soekarno-Hatta airport on Friday (August 27, 2021). (ANTARA/HO-Kominfo) - 

Indonesia on Friday received 6.086  million additional COVID-19 vaccines, comprising 5 million doses from Sinova in the form of finished products and 1.086 million  doses from AstraZeneca, though a direct purchase scheme.      

"With the arrival of the vaccines, it means that Indonesia has received 208.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine," Bio Farma's corporate secretary and COVID-19 spokesperson, Bambang Heriyanto, said in a written statement issued here on Friday.

According to him, the government is continuing to try to bring in vaccines to secure the stock of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.

He noted that 123,256,044 vaccines have been distributed throughout the country and added that Bio Farma will continue to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to locations that need vaccines, in accordance with directions from the Ministry of Health.

Regarding vaccination efforts, Prof. Dr. Soedjatmiko, SpA(K), MSi., from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, welcomed Indonesia's position as 6th in the world in terms of the number of people vaccinated and 7th in the world in terms of the number of vaccination doses administered.

Currently, more than 92.8 million Indonesians have received at least the first vaccine dose, he noted.

However, he said there is the need for more vaccination locations and an improvement in coordinating the need, delivery, and distribution of vaccines.

Meanwhile, immunization expert Dr. Elizabeth Jane Soepardi, MPH., DSc., said that to control the pandemic by achieving herd immunity, a minimum of 70 percent of the total population needs to be immunized.

According to her, currently, Indonesia has only vaccinated 21 percent of its population. Given the limited number of vaccines, to break the chain of virus transmission, local governments are expected to prioritize areas with the most COVID-19 cases, she said.

Generally, most cases occur in more densely populated areas with high mobility, she added//ANT

Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, Bintang Puspayoga. (ANTARA/ HO-KemenPPPA/FR) - 

Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, Bintang Puspayoga, has asserted that the Indonesian government is committed to improving gender equality in the field of science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM.

"We are committed to continuing  to work on this issue, both nationally and globally, through G20 Empower and W20," Puspayoga said in a press statement issued here on Friday.

This commitment is also realized through Indonesia's Presidency in the 2022 Ministerial Conference on Women's Empowerment, she added.

Women have an amazing potential if they can be optimally empowered, Puspayoga remarked.

"Of the 65.4 million MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) that Indonesia has, more than half are owned and managed by women. This data shows women's large potential as the drivers of economic recovery in the pandemic," she said.

The ministry has five priority issues, one of which is the economic empowerment of women in the gender-based entrepreneurial field, the minister said.

"Economic empowerment can be the foundation to help other issues of empowerment for women, especially for victims of disaster, victims of violence, and women household heads," she added.

Meanwhile, to close the gender gap in the STEM field, various strategies are needed to not only boost the number of women who graduate in STEM, but also to handle issues that women face in pursuing an education and a career in STEM, Puspayoga argued.

To achieve this, the ministry has suggested a number of efforts, including a transformative campaign, promoting the profile of women STEM leaders, and women-led programs, such as training and mentorship, she informed.

"(In addition) Lauding companies that have adopted gender-equality practices in order to inspire other companies, and encourage various education centers to boost their female students' participation in STEM activities," she added//ANT

Voting was held for membership of the UN Postal Council for the 2021-2024 period at the 27th Congress of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Wednesday (August 25, 2021). (ANTARA/HO-The Indonesian Embassy in Dakar/KT) - 

Indonesia was elected as a member of the Postal Operations Council (POC) at the 27th Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on August 25, 2021.

The Indonesian delegation, led by the Indonesian Ambassador to Senegal, Dindin Wahyudin, whose accreditation area includes the Ivory Coast, managed to get 91 votes in the election.

"The election of Indonesia as a member of POC UPU is proof of international confidence in Indonesia's active role so far and the future development of global postal services," Wahyudin said in a written statement released by the Indonesian Embassy in Dakar on Friday.

The election of Indonesia as a member of POC UPU has strategic meaning for Indonesia's national interests, especially in supporting postal connectivity and advancement through developed and innovative postal services, he added.

Thus, he said, for the 2021-2024 period, Indonesia will represent the South Asian and Oceania region along with Japan, China, India, Singapore, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Indonesia had earlier competed with 20 other countries for the 11 seats available in group IV of POC UPU for South Asia and Oceania, he pointed out.

The Universal Postal Union has been designated as a special United Nations agency that handles postal services since July 1, 1948. The union is the main forum of member states and postal service organizers around the world.

Country members of UPU formulate and establish international postal regulations such as postal administration, international postal operations or governance, and postal products and services.

UPU also provides technical assistance to its member countries for improving the postal sector.

The Universal Postal Union is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, and currently has 192 member states. Furthermore, UPU has two main boards: the Council of Administration (CA) and the Postal Operations Council (POC).

The CA is tasked with overseeing the implementation of strategic plans and functions within UPU, which include regulatory, administrative, legislative, and legal aspects.

Meanwhile, POC handles technical and operational affairs of the postal service//ANT