Indonesian diplomats descend on virus-hit Wuhan to rescue trapped citizens

Jakarta is accelerating efforts to evacuate Indonesian citizens from China's Hubei province -- the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak -- as Indonesian diplomats in Beijing scramble to ensure that the citizens awaiting rescue can be airlifted soon to return home.

Although Indonesia has yet to set a specific time frame for the repatriation, the Foreign Ministry’s acting spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, assured that the government had formed teams and delegated tasks to ensure immediate evacuations in the virus-hit Hubei.

He said a team from the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing had been dispatched to virus-affected areas in the Chinese province, including the city of Wuhan, to spearhead coordination with Indonesian citizens and prepare all technical details regarding the evacuation plan.

"We have received reports that they [the diplomats] will soon reach Wuhan," Faizasyah said, "The team will prepare everything on the field to ensure than when [Indonesian] aircrafts enter Wuhan, the [Indonesians in Hubei] will have already gathered and be ready to be sent home to Indonesia."

Faizasyah said the scheme of the evacuations – the schedule of which was still awaiting confirmation from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo -- would be efficient and effective.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi summoned Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian in Jakarta on Friday, during which she delivered Jakarta's expectation for Beijing to support the evacuation process for Indonesians trapped in Hubei, Faizasyah said.

According to ministry data, there are 243 Indonesians residing in Hubei. Some 100 of them are in Wuhan, the ground zero of the coronavirus, which as of Friday has killed 213 and infected nearly 10,000 in mainland China.

Wuhan is the first among at least 13 cities in Hubei on lock down by Chinese authorities to contain the outbreak. People living in the city had stockpiled food supplies since the coronavirus was first identified on Dec. 31 as most food stalls and supermarkets were closed in the following days. The prices of commodities have increased and the roads are unusually quiet around the clock.

As of Friday, no Indonesians in Hubei have been suspected of having caught the deadly virus. 

Faizasyah added that the Health Ministry would also assist in the evacuation process.

The Foreign Ministry’s director for the protection of Indonesian citizens, Judha Nugraha, said the ministry would help Indonesians in Hubei maintain their stamina and mental health.

“The ministry has prepared psychologists to provide counseling to our citizens while they await the evacuation process to begin,” Yudha said, adding that some Indonesians had already undergone counseling.

The Indonesian Air Force has kept three aircraft and health personnel on standby to evacuate Indonesian nationals from Wuhan. The aircraft — two Boeing 737s and an Indonesian Military C-130 Hercules — would be able to carry more than 200 people.