VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Sapardi Djoko Damono, Indonesia's prominent poet and writer

Sapardi Djoko Damono, Indonesia's prominent poet and writer, passed away at the age of 80, in  Eka Hospital located in South Tangerang, on Sunday at 9:17 a.m. local time, after being hospitalized since July 9.

Sapardi was born in Solo on March 20, 1940. He had produced various literature works since the 1950s until recent times. He had also written poems, essays, and short stories.

His well-known and iconic works include "Hujan Bulan Juni" (Rain of June) published in 1994 as well as "Aku Ingin" (I Want) and "Yang Fana Adalah Waktu" (Time is Mortal).

Sapardi was also a professor at the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Indonesia (UI) and had served as the dean during the period of 1995 to 1999.

The spokesperson of the faculty, Chysa, said that Sapardi's remains were laid to rest in his residence in UI lecturers' housing complex, Ciputat, South Tangerang, prior to the burial procession scheduled to be held in the afternoon. (ANTARA)

Speaker of the Indonesian House of People's Representative (DPR) Puan Maharani hopes that the existence of the Soekarno Monument in Algier, the capital of Algeria, further strengthens Indonesia's relations with the country in the North African region. She hoped that the Soekarno Monument would be a reminder to Indonesians of the strong spirit and friendship that Indonesia and Algeria have in the history of the two countries. That hope was conveyed by Puan Maharani in her opening speech at the virtual inauguration of Soekarno Monument in Algier, Algeria, on Saturday (18/07). The Soekarno Monument is the work of an Indonesian national art artist, Dolorosa Sinaga. According to Puan, the history of Indonesia and Algeria cannot be separated from the figure of Bung Karno who from the beginning supported the independence of Algeria until Algeria became independent in 1962. (ANTARA)

A medical worker waits for prospective patients during free COVID-19 swab testing provided by state-owned lender Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) in Jakarta on May 20. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)

Indonesia has surpassed China in its total number of COVID-19 cases, after recording 1,752 new infections on Saturday.

The new tally for Indonesia is 84,882 as of Saturday afternoon, while China reported 22 new cases to bring its total to 83,644, according to data from the country's National Health Commission.

Health Ministry disease control and prevention director-general Achmad Yurianto also announced 59 more COVID-19 deaths, putting Indonesia's death toll at 4,016.

In the latest edition of the national guideline on COVID-19 handling and prevention, the ministry now counts the death of probable cases as COVID-19 deaths.

However, Yurianto, who is also the spokesperson of the national COVID-19 Task Force, did not specify whether the most recent official death count included both the deaths of probable and confirmed cases.

Jakarta recorded 346 new confirmed cases, followed by Central Java with 266 cases, East Java 204, and South Sulawesi 168.

Meanwhile, East Java reported the most recoveries on Saturday with 555 recovered patients, bringing the total to 43,268. (Jakpost)

Indonesian Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has argued that hospitals have rules of professional conduct and ethics regarding medical services. However, he has pledged to examine the allegation of profiteering against hospitals to determine the truth. (ANTARA/HO-Kementerian Kesehatan)

Indonesian Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has refuted allegations that hospitals have been trying to profit from the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that hospitals have rules of professional conduct and ethics regarding medical services.

"I believe that hospitals have sound rules on ethics. They have a goodwill to provide good services; make reports and apply for payments. We just verify them through the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan)," he explained.

However, in a press statement that ANTARA received in Jakarta on Saturday, Putranto pledged to examine the allegation to determine the truth, saying that all statements must be supported by credible data instead of opinions.

Putranto made the statement following a working visit to the Ulin Public Hospital in South Kalimantan on July 17, 2020, where he awarded incentives to healthcare workers and compensation to families of workers who passed away after contracting COVID-19 while handling infected patients.

During his visit, he met with the representatives of three families of paramedics who died of COVID-19. Each of the families received Rp300 million in compensation.

At the same time, Minister Terawan Agus Putranto gave incentives to 144 paramedics at the hospital. A specialist doctor was awarded Rp15 million, while a general practitioner and dentist received Rp10 million.

A midwife and nurse received Rp7.5 million, and other medical workers got Rp5 million, he said, adding that the government provided medical workers incentives and compensation in appreciation of their dedication as they are serving at the frontlines of the country's fight against COVID-19.

In response to allegations that hospitals may be using COVID-19 as an opportunity to make a profit, the BPJS Kesehatan had recently warned partner hospitals against charging the agency's clients for rapid tests.

"The rapid tests must not be made a requirement for BPJS Kesehatan clients to receive medical treatment," BPJS Kesehatan spokesman M. Iqbal Anas Ma'ruf noted in a press statement made available to ANTARA in May this year.

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy had announced on March 24 this year that the hospitalization costs borne by COVID-19 patients will be covered by the country's national health insurance provider, BPJS Kesehatan.

The novel coronavirus disease initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, and then spread to various parts of the world, including countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Indonesian government officially announced the country's first confirmed cases on March 2 this year.

As of July 17, 2020, Indonesia has recorded 83,130 COVID-19 cases, with 41,834 recoveries and 3,957 deaths.

The virus has spread across the country's provinces, with the highest number of cases reported from East Java (17,829), followed by Jakarta (15,889), South Sulawesi (7,713), Central Java (6,366), and West Java (5,402). (ANTARA)