Publicly-listed automotive giant PT Astra International Tbk has donated 50 more ventilators, worth Rp20.8 billion, for several areas in 18 out of 34 provinces in Indonesia.
“Astra is consistent and will always work hand in hand to support the efforts by the government, community, and medical workers to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia. By donating these ventilators, we hope they can handle COVID-19 patients quickly," Astra president director Djony Bunarto Tjondro said in a written statement released on Thursday.
He expressed the hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will end soon.
This the fifth time the company has provided aid to help the government and the community break the chain of COVID-19 spread.
The aid is the continuation of the first to fourth phases of assistance, worth Rp131 billion, extended between March and May 2020. With the fifth phase, the company’s assistance to the state to help contain the spread of COVID-19 has reached Rp151.8 billion.
In the June-July, 2020 period, 10 ventilators were distributed through the company's group coordinator in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and Papua.
Forty more ventilators will be gradually handed to 18 provinces — Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, Bali, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, and Papua.
The Astra group representatives will hand over the assistance to hospitals or other government agencies, in accordance with the directives from the local COVID-19 task force. (Antaranews)