APP Sinar Mas Donates 1,200 tons of Oxygen and Engage Partnership with Temasek to Fulfill Oxygen Shortages for COVID-19 Patients

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Sinar Mas through its business pillars participated in providing liquid and gas oxygen to prevent oxygen shortages for COVID-19 patients in several areas. The supply provided by PT OKI Pulp & Paper Mills, PT Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper - Perawang Mills and PT Lontar Papyrus Pulp & Paper Industry as much as 1,200 tons of liquid oxygen per month equivalent to about 1 million medical oxygen cylinders.  
 
The first aid delivery is distributed to South Sumatra and West Java on Monday (12/7). In coordination with the local government, the aid includes filling the oxygen cylinders and deliveries to various hospitals free of charge.  

Managing Director of APP Sinar Mas Saleh Husin said the surging cases resulted in oxygen supply shortages causing inability to meet the basic need to treat COVID-19 patients.  Therefore, this aid is hoped to ease the burden of the central and regional government. “By optimizing oxygen production, we can help overcome oxygen shortages in South Sumatra, Riau, Jambi and the Island of Java. This program is pure initiative as we see the high demand for oxygen and its scarce availability in the community,” he explained.

This initiative was also recognized by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). “Managing COVID-19 requires participation from various parties. This oxygen donation from APP Sinar Mas is a tangible manifestation of the contribution of businesses in the forestry sector, to ease the burden of the central government,” said the Secretary General of KLHK and the KLHK’s COVID-19 Task Force, Bambang Hendroyono.

Medical oxygen shortages raised a concern from Temasek Foundation International and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. Together with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia for Singapore and APP Sinar Mas, they donated 1,000 oxygen concentrators to the Ministry of Health to be later distributed to hospitals and health facilities in Indonesia. The Chairman of Temasek Foundation International, Jennie Chua explained that the new COVID-19 variant spread faster, therefore, cooperation from various parties between Indonesia and Singapore are needed to overcome this pandemic. 

According to covid19.go.id, the distribution map's latest data stated that the increasing trend of positive cases has soared since June 2021. Until June 25, 2021, there are at least a total of 3,166,505 confirmed cases and 2,509,318 cases of recovering COVID-19 overall in Indonesia.