THE lack of available personal protective equipment (PPE) is deemed to be the root cause of the deaths of hundreds of doctors and nurses. The health ministry has refused to continue contract with Permana Putra Mandiri which supplies personal protective equipment from South Korea. There are still some 2 million PPE units from an order for 5 million units as yet undistributed. Met by Tempo  reporters Devy Ernis, Raymundus Rikang, and Nur Alfiy