Health Ministry deploys 314 health workers and logistics to provinces responding to forest and land fire impacts
The Health Ministry has deployed 314 medical and health workers along with hundreds of thousands of health logistics items to seven provinces affected by forest and land fires, responding to an air quality crisis that has triggered a surge in acute respiratory infection (ISPA) cases.
“As a health mitigation effort due to forest and land fires, we have mobilised 314 health workers consisting of doctors, nurses, midwives, and epidemiologists, with the main concentration in Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan,” said Head of the Health Crisis Centre Agus Jamaludin in Jakarta on Sunday.
He said more than three million residents in 37 districts and cities have been directly exposed to haze from forest and land fires affecting seven provinces in Indonesia.
Based on Health Ministry data as of Friday (21/8), the seven affected provinces include Jambi, Riau, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan.
A significant surge in ISPA cases has been reported in several regions. In Central Kalimantan, ISPA cases jumped from 402 to 716 within one week, an increase of 78.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, West Kalimantan has recorded more than 151,000 cases since January 2026, with the highest spikes in Pontianak, Kubu Raya, and Mempawah. A similar trend, accompanied by asthma and irritation cases, has also been reported in Riau and South Kalimantan.
However, no fatalities have been reported due to the haze disaster.
In addition to deploying health personnel, Agus explained that the Health Ministry has also been massively distributing medical equipment and medicines.
Overall, the logistics distributed include 278,940 masks, 56 oxygen concentrator units, 40 face shields, 1,000 pairs of medical gloves, 36 Oxycan cylinders, 8 sets of personal protective equipment, 33 boxes of supplementary food, as well as medicines and vitamins.
In high-risk areas such as North Barito Regency, East Barito Regency, and Palangkaraya City, the government has established health posts and oxygen rooms. In addition, the “Oase Udara” (Air Oasis) programme has been implemented at health facilities in West Kalimantan to ensure oxygen availability for residents experiencing shortness of breath.
The peak of the dry season is predicted to last until September 2026. Therefore, the Health Ministry has urged residents in forest and land fire red zones to limit outdoor activities, wear masks when outdoors, regularly monitor the air quality index through applications, adopt clean and healthy living behaviours, increase water consumption, and immediately visit health facilities if experiencing respiratory symptoms.