Tanoto Foundation Joins Global Fight Against COVID-19 through PPE Donation

The number of Indonesians recorded as having tested positive for COVID-19 reached more than 4,500 on Monday, after the first two cases were confirmed on March 2. Jakarta has recorded more than 2,100, making it the country’s COVID-19 epicenter.

The Jakarta Post reported on April 6 that a research study conducted by Katadata Insight Center showed an adequate number of healthcare facilities in the capital city, but not in other regions including West Java and Banten, portraying obstacles in the nation’s fight against COVID-19. Furthermore, a shortage of medical workers to run tests and provide treatment for the disease, as well as the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the medical workers pose other obstacles.

The government had eventually distributed PPE supplies from China to meet the increasing demand for the items, thus gearing up medical workers in their task to contain the spread of COVID-19. A similar step was taken by certain organizations including the Tanoto Foundation, who committed to donate millions of items of PPE sourced from China.

Tanoto Foundation, an independent family philanthropy organisation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981, procured more than 30 tons of protective gear that arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on a chartered Garuda Indonesia flight from Shanghai, China on Monday. The goods, coming as the third batch being delivered, are part of Tanoto Foundation’s donation to the Indonesian government.