VP says, volunteerism is PMI’s main spirit

Jakarta-wapresri.go.id. Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has a duty to serve people in distress to make them happy again.

“That is our basic principle. Regardless of background, everyone should be served with the spirit of volunteerism,” said the Vice President when inaugurating the opening of the Technical Working Meeting of PMI’s Division for Health, Hospitals, and Social Affairs 2016 at the Vice Presidential in Jakarta on Wednesday (Sept. 7).

The Vice President also hoped the meeting would not only result in routine programs, but also programs with larger impact.

“For example, blood donor. PMI should make every effort to be a link between people voluntarily donating blood to people who need blood,” he said.

The Vice President, who is also PMI chairman, reminded that PMI reduce meetings and focus more on delivering services to the community.

“PMI is not based on bureaucracy. It must always be ready whenever needed,” said the Vice President.

According to Head of PMI’s Division for Health, Hospitals, and Social Affairs, Farid Husain, the meeting held nationally aims to achieve an integrated health services, between the government and the private sector.

The meeting is attended by participants from 34 PMI provincial offices, PMI‘s partners (such as IFRC and ICRC), relevant ministries/agencies and the private sector that have been supporting the PMI Health programs.

Also attending the ceremony were the Minister of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Head of the Secretariat of the Vice President Mohamad Oemar, and Vice President’s Deputy for Human Development Policy Support and Equitable Development Bambang Widianto.