Indonesian Red Cross Considers Sending Health Aid to Iran via Global Route

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Jusuf Kalla stated that his organisation is considering sending medicines and health equipment to Iran, following a request from the Iranian government. The aid request was conveyed by Iran’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Mohammad Boroujerdi, during a meeting at PMI headquarters in South Jakarta on Wednesday. As usual, he said, the aid would be channelled through PMI to the International Red Cross (Red Crescent) in a neighbouring country, such as Turkey, and then forwarded to Iran for the public. He added that the aid distribution scheme might involve routes through Pakistan or Turkey to expedite the delivery process. Nevertheless, PMI is also considering cost efficiency in procuring the aid. According to Kalla, the cost of shipping medicines from Indonesia could be higher than the value of the medicines themselves. “It is better to buy medicines in the nearest country. From our experience, medicine prices in Pakistan can be more than half as cheap as in Indonesia,” he said. PMI is currently calculating the total aid needs required, including the types of medicines and medical equipment needed by the Iranian side. Further coordination will also be conducted with the Ministry of Health regarding the technicalities of distributing the aid. This step is part of Indonesia’s humanitarian efforts to assist countries facing difficulties in the health sector through international humanitarian organisations.