Many Hospitals Fully Occupied

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Aerial photo of Wisma Atlet Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, Thursday (19/3/2020). The government plans to use the Wisma Atlet as an alternative quarantine place for Covid-19 patients. Related to this plan, the security of the area began to be increased. A number of preparations have also begun, such as inspection of the building and cleaning of the environment around the building by cleaning staff.

The daily addition of new cases and deaths due to Covid-19 in Indonesia has again reached new records. Hospitals in a number of areas are occupied by patients with the disease.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Hospitals in a number of areas are already fully occupied and are no longer able to accept Covid-19 patients. On the other hand, cases of the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus on Friday (27/11/2020) reached a new daily record with the addition of 5,828 cases and 169 deaths.

The single-day addition of cases has caused Covid-19 cases to total 52,581 in the country with 16,521 people dead. Covid-19 Handling Task Force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said the addition of cases in the last few days served as an alarm or warning.

"Positive cases can continue to increase if there are no serious steps from the community and the regional administration to prevent transmission," he said.

Also read: COVID-19 in 2021

The addition of these positive cases, according to Wiku, is due to ongoing transmission in public. Therefore, he asked the public to be disciplined in complying with the 3M\'s health protocol, namely wearing masks, keeping physical distance and washing hands.

The health protocols must be applied in every activity and daily life. He also hopes that the Covid-19 Task Force in the regions will not hesitate to take action indiscriminately against people who ignore health protocols according to regulations.

Overwhelmed

The addition of Covid-19 cases has caused hospitals to become fully occupied. "Yesterday [Thursday] I was looking for a place of treatment for a relative. I have called 56 hospitals on the list of Covid-19 referral hospitals in Jakarta, but they are all fully occupied. You can enter [and receive treatment at a hospital] only after an in-patient leaves [hospital] because of death,” said Tri Maharani, an emergency doctor who volunteered at Laporcovid-19.

Also read: Strengthening COVID-19 Prevention at Polling Stations

A similar situation occurred in Solo, Central Java. Spokesperson for the Covid-19 Unit at the Sebelas Maret University Hospital, Solo, Bambang Ardyanto, said, "The hospital is fully occupied. There is a queue of Covid-19 patients at our ER [emergency room]. "

Difficulty in finding an empty room and the need to queue means that patients could die outside the hospital and may not be recorded.

According to him, similar conditions also occurred at other hospitals throughout Solo. Difficulty in finding an empty room and the need to queue means that patients could die outside the hospital and may not be recorded.

Doctor and epidemiologist at Gen. Soedirman University, Purwokerto, Joko Mulyanto, said that all of the isolation rooms for Covid-19 patients in Banyumas, Central Java, were also fully occupied. "Beds in the isolation wards are no longer available," he said.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Medical workers man the Covid-19 rapid testing post at Pasar Minggu Regional General Hospital (RSUD) on Saturday (4/4/2020) in South Jakarta. Pasar Minggu hospital, which has been providing the Covid-19 testing facility since 20 March 2020, is one of several referral hospitals that have been designated in Jakarta for treating suspected cases of Covid-19 infection, people under monitoring (ODP), and patients under surveillance (PDP).

The surge in patients also occurred outside Java. Robert Naiborhu (47), a pulmonary specialist at the Abdul Rivai Regional General Hospital, in Berau, East Kalimantan, said that in the past week the hospital was full. "The surge in patients has occurred in the last month. There are additional 102 patients. Perhaps, it’s because of the impact of long vacation and the returning [to work] of mining company employees," he said.

According to Robert, problems in the regions are more complicated because patients without symptoms or mild symptoms find it difficult to self-isolate due to rejection or stigma in the community. "The situation is getting more difficult because local contacts whose source of transmission unknown are increasing," he said.

Also read: Prevent Spike in COVID-19 Cases at Year-end

At the same time, 25 health workers at the Goeteng Tarunadibrata Regional General Hospital (RSUD), Purbalingga, Central Java, were confirmed positive for Covid-19.

Acting director of Goeteng Tarunadibrata Hospital, Sulistya Rini Candra Dewi, said that the health workers consist of 3 doctors, 16 nurses and 6 others who are nutritionists, cleaners and drivers at the hospital.

In Beji village, Kedungbanteng district, Banyumas regency, 177 local Islamic boarding school students have been confirmed positive for Covid-19. "They are quarantined at the Islamic boarding school. It has been prepared," said Banyumas Regent Achmad Husein.

Anticipation

Indonesian epidemiologist at Griffith University, Australia, Dicky Budiman, said that a significant increase in Covid-19 cases and fully occupied hospitals must be addressed immediately so that the death toll does not increase. What\'s more, the transmission in the community is much greater than what was confirmed because the tests are still minimal.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

An officer wearing protective gear douses an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient who is about to enter U Stay Hotel in Mangga Besar, Central Jakarta, with disinfectant on Sunday (27/9/2020).

The number of (Covid-19) tests in Indonesia per Friday is close to the minimum threshold for the World Health Organization (WHO), but this only applies if the positive ratio is less than 5 percent. With the positive ratio in Indonesia still above 10 percent, according to Dicky, the minimum number of tests must be 100,000 per day. (AIK/MTK/HRS/DIT/VIO/ DKA/OKA/NIK)