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)

Nurdiansyah, a nurse who works at the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital, shares his experience treating COVID-19 patients at a press conference held by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Sunday (Courtesy of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB)

Besides medical treatment, COVID-19 patients also need companionship, a nurse at the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital (RSPI) said.

Nurdiansyah shared his experience treating patients at the COVID-19 referral hospital in a press conference held by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Sunday.

"One nurse currently handles three to four patients," he said. "One patient can take up to one hour for each treatment."

He said that sometimes nurses might even spend three to four hours at a time with a single patient, because some patients are afraid to be left alone.

"We have to motivate patients and strengthen them mentally so that their immune system is also strengthened," he said. "They hold our hands and we encourage them. They need mental support."

Nurdiansyah said that nurses helped coach patients who experienced shortness of breath and tried to comfort patients with lighthearted television programs.

He said the first thing the nurses did before their shift every morning was pray for the patients' recovery and the medical workers' safety.

He said he was saddened that despite all their hard work, many workers faced hostility due to their close proximity to COVID-19 patients.

"Some nurses have been kicked out of their rooming houses and nurses' children are alienated by the neighbors due to the negative stigma surrounding COVID-19," he said.

Nevertheless, he thanked those in the public who have played their part to help slow the spread of the outbreak

"We, nurses, and medical workers are placed on the last line. We are the last resource to come for when infections happened. But the public is on the front line, so let's keep fighting the pandemic together," he said. (The Jakarta Post)

The Indonesian Government began distributing its aid packages to 1.2 million families in Jakarta currently suffering from the impact of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on Monday (April 20, 2020). ANTARA PHOTO

The Indonesian government initiated the distribution of its aid packages to 1.2 million families in Jakarta currently bearing the brunt of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on Monday.

Social Affairs Minister Juliari P. Batubara, on behalf of President Joko Widodo, symbolically handed over the staple food aid packages in front of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta.

"What we are doing this morning aims to ensure the state's presence in handling the impact of COVID-19 on our affected people in Jakarta," he noted in a press statement during a videoconference.
Furthermore, the government will distribute similar aid packages to some 600 thousand affected families in the cities and districts of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Tangerang Selatan, and Bekasi, he revealed, adding that the aid packages will be offered for a three-month period.

The Social Affairs Ministry joined hands with several partners, including state-owned postal company PT Pos Indonesia, to distribute those aid packages to the families severely affected by this deadly virus.

"We are optimistic that the families in dire need will receive all the aid packages," Batubara noted.

The coronavirus disease initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019. Since then, it has spread to at least 202 countries and territories, including Indonesia, with a massive hike in the death toll.

This condition prompted the World Health Organization to declare it a global pandemic. Public health and economies in so many countries are reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With COVID-19 infections spreading to all 34 provinces in Indonesia, President Jokowi has declared the coronavirus outbreak a national disaster.

In a bid to break the chains of this coronavirus transmission, several cities, district, and provincial governments in Indonesia have also imposed large-scale social restriction measures.

Among the cities currently enforcing the restriction policies are Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi in West Java; Makassar in South Sulawesi; and Pekanbaru in Riau.

As of Sunday (April 19), Indonesia had 6,575 confirmed cases, while the death toll from the virus had touched 582, whereas 686 patients received a discharge from hospitals.

Currently, there are at least 176,344 people under monitoring and 12,979 patients under surveillance in Indonesia’s 34 provinces. Jakarta remains Indonesia's COVID-19 epicenter, with the highest number of confirmed cases. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has given clear-cut 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 on Monday.

The president made the statement at the virtual meeting on COVID-19 response in which the attendees comprised Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, cabinet ministers, and head of the Task Force for Acceleration of the COVID-19 Handling Doni Monardo.

"We should manage this carefully. We need to handle aspects pertaining to which patient is exhibiting mild and moderate symptoms and which ones are showing severe symptoms that necessitate intensive hospital care," he emphasized.

The government has readied 132 referral hospitals in 34 provinces for treating cases of coronavirus infection in accordance with Health Minister’s Decree No. HK.01.07/MENKES/169/2020 on referral hospitals for certain emerging infectious diseases.

It also readied Wisma Atlet (athlete village) in Kemayoran in Jakarta as an emergency hospital for treating patients with mild and moderate symptoms.

"I have also lauded the development of technology-based medical consultation, and I think this must be developed further. The number of telemedicine services must be increased, so it could reduce (physical) contact between patients and doctors," the president noted.

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

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

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.

According to the Worldometers website, as of Monday, 2,407,339 people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus. It also recorded 165,069 deaths owing to the virus and 625,127 patients having recovered. (ANTARA)