VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Task Force for COVID-19 Response has assured that coronavirus patients treated at referral hospitals are exempt from treatment costs.

“The patients are by no means liable to treatment costs. It is the referral hospitals that will claim the treatment costs from the director general of the Health Ministry, with copies (of claims) addressed to BPJS Kesehatan (Health Care and Social Security Agency) and district and municipal health offices,” spokesperson for the Task Force for COVID-19 Response, Wiku Adisasmito, said in a press conference here on Thursday.

He appealed to offices and employers to not worry about the treatment costs of employees testing positive for COVID-19, saying the costs will be borne entirely by the government, be they BPJS members, non-BPJS members, or expatriates.

The offices and employers should be transparent in reporting any of their employees who test positive for COVID-19 to local health offices, he said.

Offices and employers must trace those who have come in close contact with COVID-19 patients by coordinating with the local health and manpower offices, he added.

He also urged offices and employers to provide free swab tests to those who have come in close contact with COVID-19 patients.

If they detect additional COVID-19 cases, they must coordinate with the local health office and allow employees testing negative for the virus to work from home, he said. (Antaranews)