Addition of Medical Treatment Capacity Urgently Needed
A spike in COVID-19 cases post-Lebaran has emerged. The bed occupancy ratio at referral hospitals for Covid-19 patients in a number of areas has increased. Medical treatment capacity must be improved.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·5 minutes read
JAKARTA, KOMPAS —Rising Covid-19 cases following Lebaran is expected until early July 2021. The increase has resulted in higher bed occupancy ratios, with some areas reaching full capacity. Therefore, the capacity to treat Covid-19 patients must be improved.
For some clusters with a high increase in cases, such as Kudus regency in Central Java and Bangkalan, East Java, the Health Ministry is trying to reduce the pressing burden on hospitals. Patients with severe and moderate illness are referred to hospitals in the nearest regency or city. In addition to intensifying testing and tracking, the government has also increased the supply of Covid-19 vaccines to the area.
“We have to be careful in controlling Covid-19 cases after holidays. The management of the handling of Covid-19 must be improved," said chairman of the Covid-19 Task Force, Ganip Warsito, in a virtual coordination meeting of the Task Force in Jakarta, on Monday (7/6/2021).
Based on the daily report on the handling of Covid-19 as of 7 June 2021, there were an addition of 6,993 positive cases of Covid-19 in Indonesia with 191 deaths. The active cases reached 99,663 or up 5.5 percent from the previous five days.
Chairman of the Committee for Covid-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery, Airlangga Hartarto, in a video conference after a limited meeting with President Joko Widodo, on Monday (7/6), stated that a number of provinces that contributed 65 percent of active cases nationwide were West Java, Jakarta, Central Java, Papua and Riau. The island of Java contributed the most, namely 52.4 percent.
We have to be careful in controlling Covid-19 cases after holidays. The management of the handling of Covid-19 must be improved.
The Health Ministry\'s online hospital data as of 6 June 2021 shows that the average bed occupancy ratio (BOR) in Indonesia for isolation and intensive care rooms (ICU) stood at 40.11 percent. There are seven provinces with hospital occupancy ratio of more than 50 percent, namely the Riau Islands, West Kalimantan, Central Java, Jambi, Riau, West Java and West Sumatra.
In a number of regencies/cities, hospital bed occupancy is more than 80 percent, including the regencies of Rembang, Sragen, Demak, Kudus, Semarang City and Tegal, in Central Java; and Bungo regency in Jambi.
Kudus and Bangkalan
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin highlighted the bed occupancy of the hospital in Kudus, which was initially around 40 patients has increased to around 350 patients in the last 10 days. During the same period, in Bangkalan, East Java, the number of patients from around 10 people rose to around 80 patients. The high number of Covid-19 cases in Kudus is mainly because the area is a destination for spiritual pilgrimages, while Bangkalan is a destination for migrant workers to return home.
To reduce the pressing burdens on hospitals in the area, patients with severe and moderate pain from Kudus were referred to hospitals in Semarang and patients from Bangkalan were referred to Surabaya.
Because many medical personnel in the area were exposed to Covid-19, the government sent doctors and nurses from other areas. In Kudus, more than 300 medical workers were exposed to Covid-19. They are generally in good condition because they have been vaccinated.
The government has also distributed Covid-19 vaccines to Kudus and Bangkalan with 50,000 vaccines each.
To control Covid-19 in Kudus, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police (Polri) have deployed four joint groups, especially to limit community activities in 60 villages that are declared the red zone. The National Police also assisted in the transfer of 1,200 patients from self-isolation at home.
The same thing was implemented in Bangkalan. "In areas where there is an increase of more than 500 Covid-19 cases a week, case management contingency management is applied," said National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
Meanwhile, the Surabaya Covid-19 Task Force has again blocked traffic on the Suramadu Bridge and implemented an antigen test for all motorists from Madura Island, on Monday (7/6). Of the 2,600 drivers who underwent an antigen test, 83 of them were positive and were followed up with a PCR test.
“People with positive PCR test results are referred to a makeshift hospital or other. Residents whose PCR test results have not come out are isolated at the Boyolali’s Sukolilo Haj Dormitory," said Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi. The blocking and antigen testing for all riders from Madura will be in effect for the next two weeks.
Bangkalan Regent, Abdul Latif Amin Imron, added that a similar policy was taken at the Suramadu Bridge in the western regency of Madura Island to reduce queues and traffic congestion.
East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa said that the East Java Provincial Administration designated six hospitals plus the Surabaya makeshift hospital as referral hospitals for handling Covid-19 patients from Bangkalan. Other hospitals were also designated as referrals, including Dr Soetomo Hospital, Haji Hospital, Airlangga University Hospital and Primasatya Husada Citra Hospital. The Task Force has also established an emergency hospital at the Surabaya-Madura Development Agency.
The administration of the Surakarta City, Central Java, has prepared an additional place for centralized isolation of Covid-19 patients to anticipate the surge in bed occupancy of the Donohudan Haj Dormitory. This is because some of the patients from Kudus are isolated there.
Meanwhile, clusters of (wedding) celebrations and worship at churches occurred in Wonosobo regency, Central Java. There were 50 people positive for Covid-19 based on antigen rapid test and followed up with PCR test. A limited area quarantine is in place to prevent the spread.
In addition, the Jakarta Health Office has prepared 34 controlled isolation locations and lodging for health workers.