Jakarta Deploys 367 Health Facilities as Forest Fire Haze Worsens Air Quality

Jakarta, MINA – Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has mobilized 367 health facilities to treat residents experiencing health problems linked to worsening air quality as forest and land fire haze spreads toward the capital.

The facilities comprise 31 hospitals, 44 community health centers and 292 auxiliary health centers. Pramono has instructed the Jakarta Health Agency to ensure medical services are available to residents experiencing respiratory problems and other complaints associated with the deteriorating air conditions.

Speaking to journalists in Ancol, North Jakarta, Pramono acknowledged that Jakarta’s air quality had worsened over the previous two to three days. He also confirmed that residents without Jakarta identification cards could seek treatment at the designated facilities if their health complaints were suspected to be related to the haze.

The measures followed the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency’s (BMKG) detection of forest fire haze from Sumatra and Kalimantan passing through the upper atmosphere over Greater Jakarta on October 16, based on Himawari satellite imagery.

BMKG cautioned that satellite imagery alone could not directly establish the concentration of pollutants at ground level, where residents breathe the air.

The Jakarta provincial government noted that air quality in the capital is influenced by several factors, including vehicle emissions, industrial pollution and dry-season conditions. Several monitoring stations measuring the Air Pollution Standard Index have continued to record moderate air quality.

Pramono said he had not yet received data on the number of residents who had sought treatment for haze-related complaints.

The provincial government is continuing mitigation measures, including water-mist spraying, weather modification operations and air-quality monitoring.

Jakarta government spokesperson Chico Hakim said on Monday, October 19, that authorities were intensifying monitoring and preparing preventive measures to protect public health, particularly among children, older people and other vulnerable groups.

Forest and land fires regularly occur in Indonesia during the dry season. Fires associated with land clearing can produce widespread haze, which may contribute to respiratory illnesses, disrupt transportation and release significant amounts of carbon emissions.

The arrival of haze over Jakarta has added to concerns about the broader impact of Indonesia’s forest fire crisis. The Ministry of Health recorded 283,270 acute respiratory infection cases across seven provinces between August 18 and October 13, 2026, according to figures cited in the report’s background.

The Jakarta government’s decision to allow residents without local identification cards to access treatment is intended to ensure that administrative requirements do not prevent people from receiving medical attention for suspected haze-related illnesses.

Residents are advised to monitor official air-quality updates, wear suitable masks when necessary, reduce strenuous outdoor activities when pollution levels worsen and seek medical care if they experience breathing difficulties or persistent coughing.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)