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Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto presented an award to the family of a medical worker who died while performing duties to fight against COVID-19.

Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has bestowed awards to honor medical workers who died while performing their duties to treat COVID-19 patients and handed out cash compensation to their families.

"Let me offer our deep sorrow and high honor to all medical workers who had worked hard and highly devoted themselves to fight against the COVID-19," he said in a press statement of the Health Ministry on Friday.

The awards and cash compensation were handed over to the families of late dr Adi Mirsaputra, Sp. THT working for Restu Kasih Rumah Keluarga Hospital and late dr Mikhael Robert Marampe working for Permata Bunda Hospital in Bekasi, West Java.

The minister said he represented President Joko Widodo to hand over the cash compensation and bestow the awards to honor the medical workers who died while fulfilling their duties to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state will not forget the services of medical workers who have died of the COVID and are still fighting against the spread of the virus, he said.

"Let us pray that this non-natural disaster will pass soon," he added.

The minister also symbolically handed over incentives to an anesthesiologist of Fatmawati Hospital in Jakarta for the medical workers of the hospital.

Head of the Human Resource Development and Empowerment of the Health Ministry Prof dr Kadir said the ministry also made payments for claims from hospital treating COVID-19 patients. at the hospital

"The awards, compensations and incentives are form of the government's appreciation to those who risk their lives in fulfilling their duties to handle the COVID-19," Kadir said.

Earlier, the government also bestowed the "Bintang Jasa" (Stars of Service) awards to honor doctors and nurses, who died while fulfilling their duties to handle the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

"These awards mark our deep sorrow (for the fallen health workers) and highest respect for all medical personnel, who are at the forefront in the fight of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia," presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman stated in Jakarta recently.

President Joko Widodo presented the 22 Stars to the families of the 13 doctors and nine nurses, who died in the line of duty.

Of the 22 medical personnel, nine were honored with the Pratama (Primary) Star awards, while 13 were presented the Nararya (Glorified) Stars.

Indonesia reported 2,317 additional recoveries from the COVID-19 on Friday (August 21), taking the total tally to 102,991, according to the Task Force for the Handling of COVID-19.


The number of new cases touched 2,197, bringing the nationwide COVID-19 case count to 149,408, Meanwhile, with 82 more people succumbing to the virus, the death toll reached 6,500. (ANTARA)