Health Services Enhanced

Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and overwhelmed hospitals in a number of provinces, the government sees health service improvement as the pressing requisite to meet.

Kompas/Priyombodo

Rows of Covid-19 patients waiting in wheelchairs to get treatment beds at the Cengkareng Hospital Emergency Installation, West Jakarta, Tuesday (22/6/2021). Since the beginning of June 2021 or after the Idul Fitri holiday until now there has been an increase in Covid-19 patients so that hospitals are overwhelmed and run out of treatment places.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The current alarming Covid-19 condition has required the government to improve hospitalization services by, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, ensuring the adequacy of beds, the availability of medicine, sufficing human resources, personal protective equipment and oxygen supply.

Of the 82,000 available beds nationwide, 57,000 are occupied. Increasing the number of beds continues to be pursued, especially in areas with high occupancy rates, such as Jakarta (85 percent).

Several hospitals have been forced to focus health services more on Covid-19 patients.

Also read:

> Restrictions on Public Activities Tightened

> Fully Occupied Hospitals are Real

"Especially for Jakarta, there will be two hospitals dedicated to treating Covid-19 patients, Persahabatan Hospital and Sulianti Saroso Hospital. Similar measures are also carried out in other regions," Budi said in an interview with Kompas on Tuesday (22/6/2021).

Among the regions seeking more beds for Covid-19 treatment rooms is Central Java, with Governor Ganjar Pranowo raising two ways of procurement through first installing new rooms and second converting the available rooms. He did not rule out setting up an emergency hospital if the situation worsened.

Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) chairman Daeng M. Faqih encouraged the government and regional administrations to seek the best strategy in the implementation of the micro-scale public activity restrictions (PPKM).

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Medical personnel check the health conditions of residents participating in the Covid-19 vaccination at the vaccine service post for the public in front of Pasar Senen Station, Central Jakarta, Monday (21/6/2021).

Emergency measures would also need to be pursued to optimize the restriction of public mobility and activities. "The government and regional governments are requested increasing protection for health workers who work and assist in the treatment of Covid-19 patients so that they are not easily infected," Daeng said.

According to IDI mitigation team head Adib Khumaedi, from February to June 1, 2021, as many as 61 doctors died due to Covid-19. Ten of them had got two-shot vaccination, 4 received first shot and 29 people were not vaccinated, with the rest yet to be confirmed.

"The health workers\' vaccination helps reduce mortality or (the chance of contracting) symptoms," Adib said.

Indonesian Public Health Experts Association (IAKMI) imparted two mechanisms of dealing with the spike in Covid-19 cases – the enforcement of nationwide large-scale social restrictions and regional quarantine, the latter being recommended to carried out periodically in Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Also read:

> Contagion Worsens, Strengthen Health Services

> Hospitals Overwhelmed, Deaths Rise

"The government also needs to accelerate efforts in tracing and (swab) testing so that (positive) cases can be detected as early aa possible and that people who are infected can be treated immediately without requiring hospitalization," IAKMI chairman Ede Surya Darmawan said.

The data on June 21 showed new 14,536 cases, which appeared to be the highest number of daily cases since the transmission of Covid-19 was first reported in Indonesia.

A total 13,668 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on June 22, with 335 deaths. Active cases increased by 4,958, bringing the total number of Covid-19 patients under treatment to 152,686 people.

The data on June 21 showed new 14,536 cases, which appeared to be the highest number of daily cases since the transmission of Covid-19 was first reported in Indonesia.

The bed occupancy rate (BOR) in hospitals nationally is 62 percent. However, in some areas the BOR is already above 80 percent, such as Central Java (90 percent), West Java (82 percent), and Jakarta (85 percent).

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Rows of ambulances parked at Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium, Bekasi City, West Java, Monday (21/6/2021). The Bekasi City Government has again operated some rooms at the Patriot Candrabhaga stadium for self-isolation of Covid-19 patients with asymptomatic status.

Amid the rising hospital occupancy, the regions have begun the implementation of tight PPKM as administered by the central government. Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X has instructed regencies and municipalities to employ close supervision in the PPKM implementation.

Sultan said that loose implementation of social restrictions had so far helped contribute to a spike in Covid-19 cases, with the BOR level soaring to 72.04 percent as recorded on Monday.

"The use of the bed exceeded the safe limit of 60 percent," he said.

Emergency wards

In Bekasi, West Java, the incapacitation has forced Chasbullah Abdulmadjid Regional General Hospital to set up an emergency service tent on Tuesday due to the overwhelming number of patients.

“There is an escalation in Covid-19 patients. In order to keep the services running and the hospital\'s capacity to increase, we made a tent in front of the IGD (emergency installation)," hospital director Kusnanto said.

The tent is used as an initial examination and waiting corner before the patients are ushered into treatment rooms.

Also read:

> Java in State of Emergency for Covid-19

> Lessons from Surges in Covid-19 Cases

Bekasi’s BOR notched up to 84 percent as of Friday (18/6), with the total number of positive Covid-19 cases reaching 47,721 as of Tuesday. Of that number, 2,195 people are being treated and isolated.

The Bekasi administration has extended the PPKM micro to June 30. Mayor Rahmat Effendi said that the PPKM and tightened health protocols aimed to keep economy growing.

During the PPKM implementation market operational hours is limited between 8 am and 6 pm. Meanwhile, Pondokgede and Kranji shopping center, Bekasi Junction, and Atrium Pondokgede operate from 8 am to 9 pm. (HRS/DAN/VAN/DIT/GIO/AIK/TAN)

This article was translated by Musthofid.