Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Bakti Nusantara Medika Foundation (Baktimed) and the European Association for Advanced Indonesia (PETJ) on Tuesday (March 2, 2021) donated Rp60 million for those affected by the West Sulawesi earthquake.

The donations were handed over to the founder of the DoktorSHARE Foundation, Dr. Lie Dharmawan, by the founder and supervisor of the Baktimed Foundation, Wahid Supriyadi, in front of the Floating Hospital (RSA).

Supriyadi was accompanied by deputy advisor Hanny Moniaga, deputy chairperson Masni Eritrina, and head of logistics and transportation, Abdul Wahab.

Meanwhile, PETJ was represented by Tessa Dennis, deputy chair of the department of economics and investment, who came directly from the UK.

This is the second initiative by Baktimed since it was established in January this year. Earlier, the foundation had helped people affected by the landslides that struck Bogor on 26 January, 2021.

Apart from the monetary assistance, Baktimed also provided personal protective equipment for the medical team, 40 disinfectant sprays, and one portable sterilizer, donated by Kyoto Healthcare.

Related news: Panic-stricken Mamuju residents flee homes following Sunday earthquake

During his meeting with Dr. Dharmawan, Wahid, former Indonesian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Russia and concurrently Belarus, lauded the efforts made by DoktorSHARE so far, and said Baktimed is ready to collaborate with the organization.

"This is a suitable and complementary partnership. The DoktorSHARE Foundation has more than 10 years’ experience in the field and has adequate facilities for setting up floating hospitals (RSA), while Baktimed will later provide medical assistance to remote communities using small planes," Wahid stated.

Wahid then thanked PETJ for spontaneously raising funds in Europe.

PETJ is a forum for Indonesian society associations (diaspora) in 19 European countries who care about and support the government’s advanced Indonesia vision.

While thanking Baktimed for its assistance, Dr. Dharmawan said he welcomed the cooperation and synergy between the two organizations, considering that both have the same goal, namely to provide health services to poor people living in remote areas.

He also invited Baktimed and PETJ teams to have a close look at the facilities provided by the floating hospital.

Dr. Dharmawan, who will soon visit West Sulawesi to help victims of the January quake, said that after returning from Germany, he had bought a used fishing boat and, with his own savings, turned it into the first floating hospital in Indonesia.

The foundation that he currently leads has around a thousand volunteers from different areas of expertise.

Related news: 89,624 people still take refuge following powerful quake in W Sulawesi





Reporter: Azis Kurmala
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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