Indonesia Deploys Oxygen Buses as Borneo Wildfire Haze Triggers Health Crisis
As record-breaking wildfires choke Indonesia, local authorities in Palangka Raya are deploying mobile oxygen buses to treat a surge in respiratory cases.
POLICY WIRE — Palangka Raya, Indonesia — A specialized oxygen bus is providing a vital lifeline to residents in Central Kalimantan, where thick, toxic haze from persistent forest fires has created a public health emergency.
The mobile unit, equipped with medical-grade oxygen tanks and staffed by healthcare professionals, offers citizens temporary relief from the hazardous air quality. Patients are able to receive oxygen support through nasal tubes for sessions lasting between 5 and 10 minutes.
Indonesia is currently facing its most severe wildfire season in over a decade, exacerbated by an intense El Nino weather pattern. The resulting smoke has blanketed vast regions of Borneo and Sumatra, turning skies orange and pushing air pollution levels in some areas past the 1,000 mark on the pollution index, well above the 300 threshold for hazardous conditions.
According to the Indonesian health ministry, the environmental crisis has led to a significant spike in respiratory ailments, with approximately 350,000 cases recorded nationwide between August and October 25. Central Kalimantan alone has reported roughly 31,000 cases during that same period.
The Central Kalimantan provincial health department stated on Instagram that the service is intended to help people access oxygen, particularly those experiencing respiratory problems or who need oxygen support amid unhealthy air quality conditions. Local residents, such as 44-year-old Oktawina, described the situation as a natural disaster that leaves little room for individual intervention.
Other patients, including 31-year-old Purnasari, reported feeling persistent chest tightness and coughing due to the thick, yellowish smoke lingering in the city. Medical staff on the bus, including a worker named Yuda, noted that the majority of visitors arrive seeking help for severe coughing and breathing difficulties.
Public frustration is mounting as the fires continue to burn without signs of abatement. Last week, hundreds of students gathered at the provincial governor’s office to protest and demand a more robust government response to the ongoing environmental catastrophe.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
