Several facilities of the former refugee camp, which had been in use in 1979-1996, can be transformed into a hospital for the COVID-19 patients, The Jakarta Post newspaper reported, citing Indonesian Military commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto.
According to the official, the medical centre would also be used to quarantine those with suspected COVID-19.
"We shall see if this is the right time to turn the location into a special hospital to treat patients infected with the novel coronavirus. Hopefully, this plan will be realised soon and the hospital can be put to use immediately, especially if there are infected patients near Galang Island", Hadi said, as quoted by The Jakarta Post.
2 March 2020, 14:31 GMT
In the meantime, residents of Galang Island in Riau Islands regency have objected the government's plan about the former refugee camp and have urged authorities to "consult them first before proceeding with such plans".
Earlier this week, Indonesia confirmed the first two cases of COVID-19 in the country.
More than 95,000 people worldwide have been infected with the novel strain of the coronavirus, the vast majority of them in China that is an epicentre of the epidemic. More than 3,200 people have died, but over 53,000 have recovered after the treatment.
