PT Bank BTPN Tbk : SMBC Donates 100 Oxygen Concentrators

JAKARTA, December 15, 2021 - Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation ("SMBC") donates 100 oxygen concentrators to Indonesian in a collaboration that involves the Ministry of Health and the Indonesian Medical Association, or IDI.

It is part of ongoing initiatives of the parent of PT Bank BTPN Tbk ("Bank BTPN") in helping mitigate the spread and impacts of COVID-19 around the world, including in Indonesia, as the coronavirus keeps evolving into new variants.

The move is also to show support from SMBC and its employees to Indonesians who are affected by COVID-19.

Dr. Moh. Adib Khumaidi, Sp.OT, head of IDI's Mitigation Team, said it is a great deal to have collective participation from all parties in COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

"We appreciate SMBC's support in COVID-19 pandemic mitigation efforts in Indonesia. This shows solidarity and the sense of togetherness that we need in times like this," he said in a statement.

Adib added that anticipative measures need to be done, such as improvement in infrastructure, support in medicine and medical equipment, to minimize the spread of new coronavirus variants.

The IDI's Mitigation Team, he said, has carefully chosen 35 cities and regencies in 19 provinces that will receive oxygen concentrators based on the virus transmission map and the COVID-19-caused fatality map on doctors and healthcare workers.

The IDI started earlier this month to distribute the oxygen concentrators to targeted cities and regencies. It will also help coordinate the use of the units through health institutions relevant to COVID-19 handling.

Provinces that will receive the aid are Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Jambi, Riau, West Sumatra, DKI Jakarta, West Jawa, Banten, Central Jawa, Special Region of Yogyakarta, East Jawa, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara, Bali, and Papua.

Andrie Darusman, Communications & Daya Head Bank BTPN, said Bank BTPN, as a subsidiary of SMBC, will continue committed to supporting people in Indonesia in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We would like to thank Indonesian Medical Association, through the IDI's Mitigation Team that receives the donation. We hope that this will be useful for those in need of oxygen concentrators," he said.

In addition to that, Bank BTPN and SMBC also provide 45 oxygen concentrators for employees at branch offices and their family members who need them during their self-isolation periods.

SMBC earlier donated Rp1.3 billion (around 10 million yen) to the Indonesian Practitioners' Association (PDUI) in September 2020 to support medical responses across Indonesia.

In the same month, SMBC also donated Rp13.17 billion (around 100 million yen) to UNICEF Indonesia to help support the United Nations' organization in expanding COVID-19 pandemic mitigation programs for children whose health was affected by COVID-19.