Government moves to supply airports with surgical masks
Government moves to supply airports with surgical masks
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government has distributed nearly 2,000 special masks to 12 major airports and seaports across the country to help prevent officials from being infected with the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
The masks have been distributed in health clinics in the following areas: the ports of Jakarta; Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Balai Karimun, and Batam in Riau; Medan, North Sumatra; Surabaya, East Java; Denpasar, Bali; Makassar, South Sulawesi; Manado, North Sulawesi; Pontianak, West Kalimantan; and Tarakan, East Kalimantan.
"We have distributed the special masks to these health clinics, as they operate at international ports with high traffic," said Indriyono, director of epidemiology surveillance, immunization and health at the Ministry of Health, on Friday.
The government has also sent a total of 31 doctors to three high-risk airports in Batam, Jakarta and Denpasar to provide immediate aid to suspected SARS patients.
Indriyono also said that the government had asked local mask producers to boost production to increase supplies as part of efforts being undertaken to help protect the people from the deadly virus.
"We hope people can get masks easily, but we might not be able to provide free masks for all," he said.
Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi has said that the special mask, or N-95 mask, was being sold at US$88 for 20 pieces.
Meanwhile, secretary general of the Indonesian Textile Association (API) Indra Ibrahim told The Jakarta Post on Friday that textile companies were ready to boost production of the special mask, which meets the quality standard of the World Health Organization (WHO).
He said that the technology to produce the type of mask in mass volume was available.
"Some of the association members already own the machinery necessary to produce the masks in mass numbers," said Indra.
In Jakarta, the local administration had also urged pharmaceutical companies to import more N-95 masks amid rising demands for the product.
Demand for the N-95 mask had increased during the last two weeks following reports of suspected SARS cases in the capital.
"I had a meeting today with the association of pharmaceutical entrepreneurs and the association of medical and laboratory tools entrepreneurs," said A. Chalik Masulili, head of the city's health subagency.
"I told them to ensure an ample supply of the masks and if necessary, to import them."
"An N-95 mask has two different types, the NR and NP. 'N' stands for non-oil, 'R' is for oil resistant and 'P' for oil proof," said Steve Bjorg of the WHO office in Jakarta.
"'Ninety-five' means that the mask is able to filter particles up to 95 percent. If it's 100 percent, then one would not be able to breath."
He also said that the N-95 mask had been proved by the international medical community that it was able to filter particles of up to 0.3 micron.
"It has been used by the medical world to protect paramedics from tuberculosis bacteria and other viruses, like chicken pox or measles," said Bjorg.
What makes the mask different from ordinary masks, he said, was that the mask fit very tightly around the wearer's nose and mouth, so that anything inhaled or exhaled would be filtered.