Jakarta. More businesses are now lending a helping hand in the race against coronavirus, including Goodhope Asia Holdings, which has recently donated ventilators to Murjani Hospital in Sampit, Central Kalimantan. 

Infected patients with severe Covid-19 cases often experience breathing difficulties as fluids filled their lungs and need a ventilator to help them breathe. Many healthcare facilities, however, suffer from an inadequate supply of costly respirators.

Among them is the Murjani Hospital, which only ran on one ventilator despite being in a Covid-19 red zone. 

In response, Goodhope's Central Kalimantan-based subsidiaries — Agro Indomas, Agro Bukit, RIM Capital, Agro Wana Lestari and Karya Makmur Sejahtera — have deployed three ventilators in the hospital.

The symbolic handover was carried out by Goodhope's Central Kalimantan-based operations representative Ilhar Swasono to the East Kotawaringin district chief Supian Hadi on Friday. Supian declared East Kotawaringin and its capital Sampit as Covid-19 red zones on April 6, after three of its residents tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Antara news agency. 

Two ventilator units are also making its way to the Nabire Hospital in Papua and will be accepted by the local district chief by the end of this month.

With five in total, the palm oil company donates Rp 3 billion, or around $194,242, worth of US-made Engström Carestation ventilators to these referral hospitals.

"Despite our limitations [due to the virus], we have decided to fully support health services and all necessary mitigation efforts to curb the pandemic. We hope that these ventilators can treat infected patients until they have fully recovered," Agro Harapan Lestari sustainability director Edi Suhardi told the Antara in Sampit on Friday.

The donation was preceded by other attempts to raise coronavirus awareness among the local villagers around their operational areas. That includes socializing its risks and prevention, distributing personal protective equipment, and spraying disinfectants in public spaces.

Also, the group has implemented its Covid-19 protocols across their operating units following the Health Ministry guideline and the World Health Organization (WHO). These protocols are accessible to the public if needed.