Red Cross seeks greater public involvement

Red Cross seeks greater public involvement

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) marked its 58th anniversary on
Wednesday with a call for greater public participation in
providing first aid as a lifesaver to disaster victims.

"Rather than rely on Red Cross or hospital emergency teams,
the whole community should know what to do when disaster strikes
or an accident occurs, especially when their family members or
friends are victims," PMI chairman Mar'ie Muhammad told The
Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.

PMI is now developing a community-based, first aid program to
disseminate first aid knowledge and skills among community
members. According to Mar'ie, the program is crucial, considering
the high incidence of disasters in the country, including
flooding, landslides and bombings.

"The program also includes sanitation projects to provide
clean water and promote eradication of communal diseases," said
Mar'ie.

He noted that Indonesians lacked safety awareness. Citing an
example, he pointed out that a helicopter flew over the JW
Marriott Hotel shortly after a bomb had exploded in its driveway
in front of the hotel lobby.

"I thought it was a police helicopter on an evacuation
mission. Later I found out it was carrying a TV cameraman
shooting scenes of the blast. I can understand that, for TV
journalists, taking exclusive footage is important, but the high-
speed rotors of the helicopter could have caused more windows to
break, especially those already half-shattered by the blast."

"That could have endangered emergency workers, police
officers, even victims on the ground. Broken glass might have
showered them at any time," he said.

Mar'ie also conceded that PMI, which is as old as the nation,
needed to improve the quality of its human resources and
equipment.

"Effective first aid should be on time and provide the right
treatment. Basically, team members are highly motivated, as
has been demonstrated on several occasions. But in order for us
to provide a good service, team members should be trained
regularly to keep up with developments in first aid know-how," he
said.

He also lamented PMI's lack of equipment due to limited funds.

"When Bali was rocked by the bomb blasts, we had to 'import'
body bags from Aceh as Bali did not have enough of them," he said
by way of an example.

The first ambulance arrived at the scene as late as 42 minutes
after the blasts.

However, even at its Jakarta headquarters, PMI lacks the first
aid equipment necessary. It received its first fireproof suits
only after 58 years of existence when an international
institution donated the suits on the occasion of its anniversary.

"Fireproof suits, helmets and masks are very important for a
first aid crew's safety. They could also help victims, let's say,
those trapped in a fire, and would likely save more lives," he
said.

Mar'ie also called for more corporate and individual sponsors
to get involved and make donations to PMI.

"We don't have a sustainable income, so we rely a lot on
donations."

PMI receives a Rp 560 million (US$65,882) annual subsidy from
the Office of the State Secretary. Routine expenditure at its
headquarters office in Jakarta alone, Mar'ie said, used up about
Rp 300 million every year.

Currently, PMI has regional offices in 30 provinces, with 342
branches at a district level.