The number of Covid-19 cases in several regions has soared. This has caused health facilities to become overwhelmed. This emergency situation must be anticipated with comprehensive steps.
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KOMPAS TEAM
·5 minutes read
Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta
Tunjungan Plaza tenant employees take a mass antigen swab test on the ground floor of Tunjungan Plaza 6, Surabaya, East Java, Thursday (17/6/2021). As an effort to break the chain of spread of Covid-19, the Surabaya City Government continues to carry out tracing by conducting mass antigen swab tests to public places such as markets and malls.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The surge in the number of Covid-19 patients has overwhelmed hospitals and isolation wards. A number of patients with severe symptoms who need immediate treatment have difficulty in getting treatment.
The Covid-19 Task Force noted that daily cases in Indonesia increased by 12,624 cases on Thursday (17/6/2021), the highest record since 30 January 2021. The number of fatalities increased by 277 people, the highest since 3 April 2021.
According to the latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO) issued on 16 June 2021, during 7-13 June, the number of deaths from Covid-19 in Indonesia increased to 0.45 per 100,000 population, compared to 0.41 per 100,000 in the previous week.
The death rate due to Covid-19 is feared to continue to increase because the bed occupancy at hospitals nationally also continues to increase.
The emergency specialist who volunteered for LaporCovid-19, Tri Maharani, admitted that it had been difficult to refer patients in the last three days, even though many patients\' conditions had worsened. "Looking for an ICU [intensive care unit] is even more difficult," she said.
For example, a patient in East Pondok Kacang, Pondok Aren district, South Tangerang City, Banten, asked LaporCovid-19 for help in finding a hospital, on Wednesday night (16/6). Previously, this patient was turned away at a number of hospitals because they were full, while the local health center (Puskesmas) had difficulty in providing reference for the patient to get hospital and could not send an ambulance.
Tri Maharani and the team contacted almost all hospitals in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, but no treatment rooms were available. In the middle of the night, finally the patient was successfully referred to the emergency department of a hospital in Tangerang.
Difficult access to hospitals also causes patients to die on the way. The Covid-19 data reports that a patient from Lohbener district, Indramayu, West Java, died on Tuesday (15/6) after not receiving treatment at the hospital.
KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO
Grave diggers at Jombang TPU, South Tangerang, bury the bodies of Covid-19 patients without wearing a hazmat, Wednesday (16/6/2021). According to a statement from one of the officers, the South Tangerang Health Service has stated that the coffin is sterile.
Potential for worsening conditions
Head of the Mitigation Team for the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), Adib Khumaidi, is concerned that health services are approaching collapse because the number of patients exceeds the capacity. Moreover, post-Idul Fitri there is an increase in non-Covid-19 cases, such as diarrhea, typhus and cardiovascular disease.
To anticipate this, he suggested for an integration of hospitals and the addition of medical personnel through substitution and volunteers. In addition, it requires regular check-ups on health workers as protection and providing personal protective equipment.
An Indonesian epidemiologist at Griffith University, Dicky Budiman, is concerned that the surge in Covid-19 cases in Indonesia has not yet reached its peak. He hopes that there will be quick decisions taken by the central government and regional administrations to prevent the spread of transmission, one of which is tightening social restrictions. "This decision will save many lives," he said.
The WHO report shows that in the past week a number of provinces experienced an increase in the number of weekly cases of more than 50 percent, including Papua (967 percent), Southeast Sulawesi (205 percent), Jakarta (123 percent), South Sulawesi (82 percent), Maluku (81 percent), North Maluku (81 percent) and Central Java (73 percent). In addition, transmission in the community is also increasing.
The situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in a number of areas, such as East Java, is deteriorating. This can be seen from the addition of 722 new cases, Thursday (17/6), mainly due to the spike in cases in Bangkalan and a number of regencies/cities.
Therefore, Covid-19 Task Force has imposed traffic restrictions and mandatory antigen tests for all motorists from Madura Island.
Spokesperson for the Covid-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, said that a number of strategies were prepared to deal with the surge in Covid-19 cases. The government implements a policy of 75 percent of employees working from home in the red zone areas. In addition, worship activities and wedding parties in areas with red zones must be avoided.
Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta
Residents from Madura Island who will enter the city of Surabaya queue for a quick antigen test at the Suramadu Bridge Blocking Location, Suramadu City, East Java, Wednesday (16/6/2021).
The increase in cases that occurred in the fourth week after Lebaran (Idul Fitri) this year is higher than the increase of cases in 2020. In 2020, cases rose by 93.11 percent in the fourth week after Idul Fitri and in 2021 the increase is at 112.22 percent.
Therefore, local administrations are asked to strengthen the handling of Covid-19 to the smallest level in society. The community needs to increase the discipline of implementing health protocols.
Restrictions on people mobility have been imposed in a number of regions. The government of Banyumas regency, Central Java, for example, monitors the movement of residents who come from outside the city to suppress the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The Pekalongan City Administration requires people who will enter the region to show a Covid-19 free certificate.
Mass vaccination
As part of controlling the pandemic, the government has begun to aggressively deploy mass vaccinations in places with high mobility and community interaction, such as terminals, ports and stations. On Thursday morning (17/6), commuter line service passengers at Bogor Station, West Java, received an injection of the Covid-19 vaccine.
President Joko Widodo witnessed the mass vaccination at Bogor Station. The President wanted an acceleration of vaccination in places with high interaction and mobility, such as train stations, bus terminals, airports and seaports. "We want to give priority to KRL passengers, train passengers or workers at the station to protect them from Covid-19," said the President.
Meanwhile, around 64,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from North Sulawesi were given to the Riau Islands so that the vaccine would not be wasted due to expiration. The rate of vaccination in North Sulawesi is only 10,157 injections per day. According to the spokesman for the North Sulawesi Covid-19 Task Force, Steaven Dandel, North Sulawesi has difficulty in reaching the elderly people.
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