Head of the Centre of Public Policy, Business, and Industry of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (PKKPBI ITS) Dr Ir Arman Hakim Nasution MEng

ITS Campus, ITS News – in preparation for the Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) that is expected to occur in the upcoming May, the Centre of Public Policy, Business, and Industry of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (PKKPBI ITS) has sent recommendations to the Government of East Java (Pemprov Jatim) to prepare medical needs, Sunday (29/3).

The head of PKKPBI ITS Dr. Ir Arman Hakim Nasution said, based on data that has been processed from the Command Centre BUMN that it is estimated that the peak of Covid-19 pandemic will occur in the first and second weeks of May 2020. “Therefore, ITS provides recommendations for East Java government to quickly prepare this,” said Arman.

This lecturer of the Departement of Business Management explained, the recommendations given by ITS include two points of special concern. The first point is to prepare the hospital and its medical personnel to accommodate a positive Covid-19 patient later. “It is to prevent the limitation of treatment rooms for patients,” Arman explained.

Arman described that ITS provides several proposals in the form of mitigation that can be done by the East Java government to face the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic later. The first is to change the function of the government-owned open land Office adjacent to the hospital into a temporary emergency unit (UGD). “The ER will use modular isolation or portable system” he added.

ITS also provides a second proposal to integrate the Regional public hospital (RSUD) with a privately owned hospital. This integration uses the operating system under control (BKO) which aims to control and distribute healthcare resources, such as medicines, ambulances, healthcare personnel, and personal protective equipment (PPE) in every hospital in East Java. “Of course for the number of hospitals that will be integrated need to log from East Java provincial government first,” Arman said.

The third suggestions were to form the provincial command handling Covid-19. This command center serves to integrate the medical needs of the central government to the provincial governments of East Java and conduct monitoring of the number of medical personnel and positive patients Covid-19 in each region. “This command will use an integrated information system that adopts BUMN Command Center in Jakarta,” said Arman.

In addition to preparing hospitals and medical personnel, continued Arman, the government of East Java also needs to ensure the preparation of the APD for medical personnel and ventilators for each Covid-19 patient. This is the second point of ITS recommendation. “This point is the main point to facilitate medical personnel in carrying out their duties,” said Arman.

Menurut Arman, ITS telah berusaha untuk memberikan kontribusi berupa desain bentuk fasilitas ruang isolasi modular. Selain itu, ITS juga melakukan produksi Alat Pelindung Diri (APD) yang dirancang oleh Departemen Desain Produk Industri (Despro) ITS sebanyak 300 unit produksi per hari. Namun, diperlukan langkah semi industri untuk diproduksi secara massal. “Adapun saat ini pesanannya telah mencapai 126 ribu, namun hanya tersisa satu bulan saja untuk menghadapi puncak pandemi ini,” terangnya.

Similar to the APD, ITS has also prepared a prototype ventilator that will be tested by the team of doctors from Airlangga University Hospital (RSUA). If it passes the test, ITS will do mass production by involving several related industries. “In America use a diverted automotive industry to manufacture a ventilator,” Arman said.

Therefore, ITS hopes that East Java government can cooperate with colleges and manufacturing companies to create modular insulation, APD, and ventilator production rooms with cheap, but technically safe. “And it should be produced by at least in mid-April,” adds Arman.

The lecturer who also serves as the head of the Business Analytics and Strategy (BAS) laboratory also hopes to East Java government to review the recommendations that ITS given to be implemented immediately to prepare the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic later. “The point is to not take too much time to act, immediately take the emergency step because it’s time we unite against the Covid-19,” he said. (sen/rev/ITS Public Relations)