By: Ahmad
Husein, IFRC Indonesia
Following
the disappearance of Air Asia’s flight QZ8501, the Indonesian Red Cross,
locally known as Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI), opened its health and
psychosocial services post at the Juanda International Airport in Surabaya,
East Java. The Airbus A320-200, carrying 155 passengers and 7 crewmembers from
Surabaya to Singapore, lost contact with air traffic control at 6.17am local
time around Tanjung Pandan, an area between Borneo and Java Island. Debris from
the plane and several bodies believed to be the passengers were found in the
Pangkalan Bun area, Central Kalimantan, after more than 48 hours of intensive
search efforts.
“We, in
collaboration with the Surabaya Municipality, initiated the operation of this
health and psychosocial service post on Monday for the family members who
stayed at the airport waiting to hear news of their loved ones,” says Mirta
Krisna, a PMI coordinator stationed at the post. While the authority focused on
search and recovery operations, PMI sees the urgency of providing appropriate
health services for the passengers’ family members. To smooth the operation,
PMI deployed five skilled volunteers to work in three different shifts each day
for 24 hours. They are equipped with two ambulances that are on standby at the
airport.
In
Sumatra, PMI’s Bangka Belitung chapter is providing an ambulance at the H.A.S
Hanandjoeddin airport, the nearest location to where the plane reportedly
crashed in East Belitung, Sumatera. Meanwhile, the PMI branch in Kotawaringin
Barat, Central Kalimantan, has mobilized 25 volunteers to the search area to
help local authorities. The Central Kalimantan Chapter provided two ambulance
units, while the South Kalimantan Chapter contributed 80 body bags and one
ambulance to help with the recovery efforts.
