The Head of the Batam Business Administration (BP) as well as the Mayor of Batam, Muhammad Rudi, invited Karimun Regency to jointly revive the economic and health sectors. To make this happen, the Head of BP Batam Rudi and Karimun Regent Aunur Rafiq agreed to establish cooperation, a memorandum of understanding (MoU), in the health and economic fields. In the economic sector, Batam and Karimun signed an agreement between BP Batam and BP Karimun. Meanwhile, for the health sector, cooperation is carried out between the Batam Business Administration Hospital (RSBP) and the Muhammad Sani Regional General Hospital (RSUD). Rudi hopes that, with the existing cooperation, it will be able to revive the economy and health of the two regions, Batam and Karimun. On that occasion, Rudi conveyed a number of advantages of the two sectors in front of the Regent and a number of officials within the Karimun Regency Government and BP Karimun officials.
“This MoU is not only about receiving patient referrals from Karimun. However, there will be additional health sciences in both areas. From now on, doctors in Karimun are allowed to coordinate and establish communication with the RSBP," he said. Then, in the economic sector, it is hoped that the economic revival currently experienced by Batam will spread to Karimun. He said Batam's economy was able to grow 4.75 percent despite the Covid-19 pandemic. "In the future, how can Batam become a hub to Karimun? And also Batam's potential can be collaborated with Karimun," he said. Karimun Regent Aunur Rafiq welcomed the cooperation between Batam and Karimun. He hopes that the potential in Batam, such as the economic improvement in Batam, will also be felt in Riau Islands. "It is hoped that the growing Batam will also have an impact on Karimun. Hopefully this breakthrough can improve the economy, where currently Batam is growing 4.75 percent and Karimun 2.3 percent," he said. In addition to the economic sector, he conveyed, the cooperation involved referring patients from Karimun to Batam and encouraging the improvement of health facilities and services and strengthening the relationship between doctors or health workers in the two hospitals. "Basically this MoU is carried out as an effort by the local government to make it easier for our people who need treatment," he said.
