Singapore Changi Airport donates oxygen concentrators to Indonesia
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact countries around the world, including in South East Asia, which has seen a large spike in Covid-19 cases recently due to the highly transmissible Delta variant.
In response to this unprecedented health crisis, the Changi Airport community has come together to support Indonesia in its fight against the pandemic with a donation of 1,380 oxygen concentrators. These are donated by Changi Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Changi Airport Group (CAG), together with over 30 other airport partners from a range of sectors including retail, engineering and construction, as well as many individual airport staff. Airline partners Cargolux and Singapore Airlines and logistics partners SATS and CEVA Logistics are undertaking the shipment of the oxygen concentrators from Los Angeles to Singapore and onward to Jakarta.
The first shipment of oxygen concentrators will depart from Singapore and is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta. CAG has worked closely with the Indonesian embassy in Singapore to facilitate this donation. The Indonesia Ministry of Health will deploy these oxygen concentrators to hospitals in the country, providing assistance to Covid-19 patients.
Oxygen concentrators are useful for Covid-19 patients experiencing a drop in oxygen levels, leading to respiratory distress. They take in ambient air and remove nitrogen from it, leaving oxygen-enriched air for use by the patient. The portable machine can be used for hours without the need for replacement or refill of any other material.
Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of CAG said, “Covid-19 has impacted everyone, and no country has been spared the effects of the pandemic. But no country should have to walk this battle path alone. I think this was what many of us had in mind when the Changi Airport community came together in a combined effort, to do our small part to help Indonesia, whom Singapore has close links with. I sincerely thank all our partners and contributors in this effort. We stand with the people of Indonesia during this difficult time and sincerely hope that our contribution will go some way towards saving precious lives.”
His Excellency Suryo Pratomo, Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore said, “This unprecedented situation requires solid communication and collaboration between us to fight the Covid-19 virus. No single country can fight this pandemic alone, so strong cooperation is needed. Indonesia and Singapore have showcased the true meaning of ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’. I highly appreciate these oxygen concentrators donated by the Singapore Changi Airport community, which shows earnest support and understanding of our fight against Indonesia's pandemic. Thank you very much.”
Aviation links between Singapore and Indonesia have been strong, with Singapore connected to 13 Indonesian cities in 2019. The Singapore-Jakarta air route has been one of the busiest in the world with over 260 weekly services pre-Covid-19. Passenger movements between Singapore and Indonesia exceeded four million per annum in 2019.