Indonesian dressmaker shifts focus, produces PPE suits

By Nicky Aulia Widadio

JAKARTA (AA) - Many textile producers in Indonesia have switched from producing fashion items to making essential things to help the nation in the fight against coronavirus.

Ria Darmasari, 37, who was making wedding dresses in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province, is now producing much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for health professionals.

Her business was directly affected by the pandemic since most of the weddings and other parties have either been postponed or canceled.
And since she has to pay her employees based on productivity, this was the only viable option.

“If there are no incoming orders, the employees will not be getting paid. Our turnover significantly dropped to 70%,” Darmasari told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

As the demand for masks and other protective gear skyrocketed over the past few weeks, Darmasari made the switch.

Her shop currently produces around 50 PPE suits per day, priced 385,000 to 425,000 Rupiah ($25-27) per piece. They also produce medical masks that are sold at 25,000 Rupiah ($1.6) each.

She has received bulk orders from various companies in Riau, including the health office of Siak district, and other provinces.

“I was the one who approached them first and offered it, but they refused because they thought the material would not be good enough. After they saw and tried it, they finally agreed to order,” Darmasari said.

She admitted that though she was not making huge profits, she was relieved that none of the 15 workers were laid off.

Indonesia reported 185 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 6,760, including 590 deaths and 747 recoveries.