India Delivers Prussian Blue Capsules to Help Indonesia Contain Cs-137 Radiation
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The Government of India has delivered Prussian Blue capsules, an emergency antidote for radioactive exposure, to Indonesia to help mitigate the effects of Cesium-137 contamination recently discovered in the Cikande Industrial Zone, Banten.
The handover took place in Jakarta on Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025, led by Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty, who presented the aid to officials from the Ministry of Health. The donation followed Indonesia’s formal request for assistance to manage potential public health risks linked to Cs-137 exposure.
Prussian Blue capsules, known scientifically as Pru-Decorp, are a critical treatment used to remove radioactive cesium from the body, reducing internal contamination and long-term radiation damage. The Ministry of Health confirmed that the medication would be distributed to affected facilities and medical response teams to support ongoing treatment and monitoring efforts.
Ambassador Chakravorty said the initiative reflected India’s humanitarian commitment under the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning “the world is one family.” He emphasized that the aid symbolizes solidarity and deepening cooperation between the two countries in health, disaster response, and public safety.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs reiterated its readiness to provide further assistance to Indonesia in strengthening national capacity to prevent and manage radiological and nuclear threats. “This collaboration is not only about addressing an immediate emergency but also about advancing long-term health security cooperation between India and Indonesia,” the ministry said in a statement.
The delivery came after Indonesia’s government declared the Cikande Industrial Zone a “special radiation incident area” following confirmed exposure cases involving Cesium-137. The National Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) discovered radioactive traces in scrap metal storage areas during its investigation of frozen shrimp exports to the United States.
According to Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, nine individuals were exposed to the radioactive material but have since received medical treatment. “All nine patients have been handled by the Ministry of Health and given special medication obtained from Singapore,” he said in a press briefing on Tuesday, Sept 30, 2025.
He added that after testing 1,562 workers and nearby residents, no severe health impacts were found. “The contamination remains limited to the industrial area and has not spread beyond it,” Zulkifli confirmed, underscoring the government’s swift containment measures, including decontamination and radiation monitoring.
In response, the Ministry of Industry issued new regulations requiring all manufacturing and export facilities to conduct radiation surveys every three months, with results reported through the National Industrial Information System (SIINas).
Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita explained that factories could either acquire radiation detection devices or cooperate with accredited third parties for inspections. “This is a preventive step so incidents like this will never happen again,” he said, adding that the upcoming regulation will formalize the mandatory reporting requirement.
Bapeten continues to monitor a wider perimeter around the Cikande site to ensure no residual radioactive material remains. The agency’s findings indicate that the contaminated metal likely originated from imported industrial waste mixed into local scrap supplies.
The coordinated response — combining India’s medical assistance, Indonesia’s regulatory tightening, and multi-agency field operations — highlights the growing depth of cooperation between the two countries. Both governments affirmed their commitment to strengthen public safety, health resilience, and bilateral relations rooted in humanitarian values.