Hospitals prepare for Idul Fitri

Hospitals prepare for Idul Fitri

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post/Semarang

A senior government official has required all hospitals and
community health centers on main roads in Central Java to remain
open 24 hours a day before and after the Idul Fitri holiday.

The circular had been sent to all hospitals and community
health centers and they are enjoined to do their best to handle
any cases related to the Idul Fitri exodus, notably vehicular
accidents, said Central Java Health Office chief Budihardja.

"The hospitals and the centers have to prepare their staff to
cope with the exodus," said Budihardja.

Besides alerting the hospitals and the community health
centers, the Central Java Health Office had also established
several health posts to serve Idul Fitri travellers. The posts
were erected in several areas in Semarang city, the Central Java
capital.

The health office has also cooperated with the Indonesian
Inter-People Radio Network in order to improve communications
between the health posts, said Budihardja.

The radio network would also provide information on where an
accident has occurred so that medical workers could be deployed
quickly to help the accident victims, said Budihardja.

The presence of the health posts is crucial as Central Java
roads connect Jakarta and many cities across Central Java and
East Java provinces. Central Java roads are expected to be packed
with Idul Fitri travellers a week before and after Idul Fitri on
Nov. 3 and Nov. 4. Some 3.1 million of travellers will pass the
Central Java roads, according to a government estimate.

It is estimated some 1.35 million people will travel on public
transportation, 1.4 in private cars and 350,000 on motorcycles.

Increased activity could be seen on the roads on Friday with
many motorcycles bearing a license plate B for Jakarta seen
entering Semarang city from the direction of Jakarta.

The motorcycles had their lights on even though it was
daylight. This measure was requested by police in order to make
it easy for police to identify the motorists as Idul Fitri
travellers who are traveling a long distance. One among the
motorists was Sulistyo, who traveled with nine friends. The 10 of
them were riding five motorcycles.

Traveling in groups can make the journey less boring, said
Sulistyo, who was traveling from Jakarta to Sragen in Central
Java.