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.