Singapore will be sending an assistance package to the Riau Islands (KEPRI) province in Indonesia to help its fight against Covid-19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement today (July 27).

The assistance package comprises medical supplies and equipment including 250 oxygen cylinders, medication, Antigen Rapid Test (ART) kits, as well as personal protective equipment such as N95 masks, surgical masks and medical gloves.

Reaffirmed friendship between S'pore and Riau Islands

According to the statement, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman had video calls with the governor of KEPRI province Ansar Ahmad, and Batam mayor Muhammad Rudi on July 27.

During the calls, Maliki reaffirmed the longstanding friendship between Singapore and KEPRI and conveyed the assistance package.

The package will be dispatched from Singapore to Batu Ampar port in Batam in the coming days.

MFA said that as a close friend and key partner of KEPRI, Singapore will continue to work closely with KEPRI in the shared fight against Covid-19.

2,500 tonnes of oxygen needed per day

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that Indonesia requires 2,500 tonnes of oxygen per day, Antara news reported, to meet rising demand amid rising Covid-19 cases.

He added that currently, the country only produces 1,700 tonnes of oxygen a day.

"Our daily oxygen requirement stood at 400 tonnes before the Eid al-Fitr festivities, and now (it) has climbed to 2,500 tonnes. Meanwhile, our production capacity is 1,700 tons per day," he said. 

He hoped that the arrival of oxygen concentrators would reduce the need for procuring oxygen cylinders in large quantities, he said, and thanked "neighbouring countries" for their assistance in providing oxygen.

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Top images via Ministry of Foreign Affairs