Indonesia to Recruit Volunteers to Help Contain COVID-19 Spread

Following the involvement of the military and Police personnel in efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indonesian government now plans to recruit volunteers to help make a new normal scenario in the country possible.

The plan was made as the government still lacks personnel in the fields in its efforts to curb the surging number of the COVID-19 patients in the country.

Despite the recent deployment of military and Police personnel to help discipline people in exercising health protocols.

Co-ordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy has gained approval from President Joko Widodo to recruit volunteers who are expected to help trace more people likely infected with the virus.

The minister said after attending a recent cabinet meeting that the President had the rapid tests optimised according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards by considering the ratio of the total population.

The President told a cabinet meeting that the target of 10,000 COVID-19 rapid tests per day has been reached, and he now wanted to increase the target to 20,000 tests or even 30,000 tests daily across the country.

The President said that massive COVID-19 tests should be carried out to provide more accurate results and complete picture of Indonesia’s readiness to enter the new normal life.

According to an international data organisation, Our World in Data, per June 5 Indonesia only carried out 0.94 rapid test per 1000 population.

As Indonesia has over 260 million people, the optimum number of rapid tests should be at least 30,000 per day, and it is in line with the President’s expectation.

According to Minister Effendy, only one-fifth of the tracing can be carried out under the 30,000 rapid tests, and therefore, a massive tracking has to be correctly and carefully made.

The minister asserted that the 30,000 rapid tests per day was expected to be carried out to support the government’s efforts before lifting the large-scale social restrictions.

For the purpose, the government plans to recruit volunteers who have health and medical educational and training backgrounds, including the final-semester students majoring in midwifery, nursing, and public health to participate in the massive rapid test programme.

The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 993 within one day to 30,514, with the death toll adding by 31 to 1801, Achmad Yurianto, a Health Ministry official, said at a press conference on Saturday. According to him, 464 more people had been discharged from hospitals, making the total number of recovered patients stand at 9907.