The member of the UGM Transportation and Logistics Expert Study Center (Pustral), Dr. Kuncoro Harto Widodo, STP., MEng., said that the management of humanitarian logistics is currently different with previous commercial logistics distribution during normal conditions. It because, at the moment, the distribution of humanitarian logistics is undertaken to save lives and help the food needs of the poor. In fact, the pattern of demand was not consistent with random and unplanned supply patterns. "Therefore, support goods such as food, medicine, medical devices must adjust in speed, suitability and percentage of fulfillment of the needs," Kuncoro said in a Virtual Seminar entitled The Role of Humanitarian Logistics in Minimizing the Impact of Covid-19 on Friday (8/5).
In the midst of the current Covid-19 pandemic, said Kuncoro, there should be coordination and collaboration between parties by optimizing the opportunity to share information between donors and support distribution managers so that the fulfillment of food stocks at the lower levels was disseminated. However, distribution patterns should avoid crowds and follow health protocol standards. "However, it is also important to collect data and plot the recipient's location so that the distribution of support is more on target," he explained.
UGM Sociologist, Prof. Dr. Sunyoto Usman, said that identification of validation of poor and vulnerable families affected by non-natural disasters is crucial. It is because there is no time limitation of the plague of Covid-19 for residents who are exposed to the non-natural disaster until drugs and vaccines found. "We need the data for recipients of social assistance. Besides, there is information about the distribution process that is fair and equitable," he said.
However, oppressive supervision of the community is needed to prevent suspicion of social assistance from being misused by the political community as part of the regional election contestation. "We need to ensure that the main recipients are mainly the virus-exposed families," he said.
While the Chairperson of the Sea Transportation Forum, the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), Leny Maryouri, PhD., Highlighted the matter of the prohibition of visiting home with the emergence of regulation on transportation control during the Idul Fitri homecoming season. However, these regulations do not accomplish with a ban or termination of international passenger flight connectivity and international ferry crossings. "Especially for flights from countries with red zone Covid-19," he added.
According to him, to prevent covid transmission, the government should be more assertive in controlling transportation by optimizing the transportation of goods more directed to self-sufficiency per region in meeting basic needs.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Agus Taufik Mulyono, as the Head of the Center for Transportation and Logistics Studies (Pustral) UGM, as well as the General Chairperson of MTI, said the impact of the PSBB and the Covid pandemic was very significant. The effects on the real sector, which had decreased dramatically, even the distribution of staples and health stalled, and the budget allocation became unpredictable, so that made the local government confused and panicked in managing the budget.
He considered that there was a decrease in logistics distribution during the pandemic due to supply chain disruptions. As for the slowdown in the fulfillment of staple and health services, there is no assurance for the time, cost, and administrative constraints.
Therefore, to improve the speed of management of the logistics distribution of staples and health, it is necessary to increase IT literacy and optimize the supply connection acceleration procedures. "It takes a change in public paradigm to adapt to the situation and development of IT to facilitate services through digital procedure access services," he concluded.
Author Gusti Grehenson
Translator: Natasa A