East Jakarta Vice Mayor, Hendra Hidayat inaugurated the operation of an ambulance in the courtyard of SMPN 26 Kampung Melayu, on Wednesday (10/20).

We really appreciate their initiative and hope other urban villages do the same thing

The ambulance is completed with a mini sink, a medicine box, a portable fire extinguisher (Apar), an oxygen cylinder, a wheelchair and a bed with wheels.

He said, it was independently bought by local residents from nine RWs, Kampung Melayu. In three months, every household set aside Rp 10,000 through local RT/RW. After being collected, they received finance aid from donors and then it was immediately spent to buy a car to be used as an ambulance.

"We really appreciate their initiative and hope other urban villages do the same thing," he stated.

If it could be applied in all urban villages, he added, it would assist the government in handling Covid-19 and providing ambulances for people.

"Surely we can serve people optimally when they need help," he stressed.

Kampung Melayu Urban Village Ambulance Management Agency Chairman, Syamsudin uttered, the ambulance would be parked at the urban village office. If people need it, they can directly contact the RW.

To operate it, each RW would recruit two people to be volunteers. They would receive training from the East Jakarta Health Sub-agency on how to operate an ambulance and handle emergency situations.

"Ambulance care will be carried out independently by residents," he said.