Chairman of the Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling Lt Gen. Doni Monardo (BNPB)

Chairman of the Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling Lt Gen. Doni Monardo

Chairman of the Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling Lt Gen. Doni Monardo reemphasized the decision to prioritize referral hospitals for treatment of patients ailing from severe and critical symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

During a virtual press conference after a meeting with President Joko Widodo in Jakarta on Monday, Monardo stated that moderately symptomatic patients will be referred to the Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital in Kemayoran, Jakarta.

However, patients with mild symptoms will be advised to self-isolate at home under close monitoring of the local health offices.

"In connection with hospital management, referral hospitals are prioritized to treat patients with severe, serious, and critical symptoms," he revealed.

According to Monardo, the task force and medical workers will ensure that the best possible treatment is administered to all COVID-19 patients.

The task force will deploy some 25 thousand volunteers to support medical professionals at work. The volunteers will be stationed at various regions and will work in coordination with the local government and COVID-19 task force.

"To all governors, heads of districts, and mayors, we have conveyed that the work of these volunteers will be integrated under the coordination of the task force at the provincial, district, and municipality levels. Hence, it can be optimized to handle priority issues," he noted.

At the virtual meeting on COVID-19 handling on Monday, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) delivered straightforward instructions to his aides to usher in improvements in the hospital reference system to handle overcapacity at some hospitals for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Improve the system of reference and the management of hospitals to handle overcapacity at our referral hospitals," Jokowi remarked at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.

As of Sunday (April 19), the number of COVID-19 patients in Indonesia had reached 6,575. As many as 686 patients had recovered, while 582 others died of the virus.

The number of patients under surveillance (PDP) has reached 15,646, while the number of people under monitoring (ODP) stands at 178,883.

The coronavirus infection has spread to all 34 provinces across the country, with the highest number of confirmed cases recorded in Jakarta, reaching 3,052; followed by 696 in West Java; 590 in East Java; 370 in South Sulawesi; 349 in Central Java; 324 in Banten; 135 in Bali; 107 in Papua; 96 in South Kalimantan; 89 in South Sumatra; and 81 in North Sumatra.  (ANTARA)