I want the doctors, nurses and other medical workers of hospitals serving COVID-19 patients to receive maximum protectionJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has ordered the allocation of financial incentives for doctors and other medical workers handling COVID-19 patients at hospitals in Indonesia.
Medical workers serving COVID-19 patients deserve the maximum protection, he said during a limited meeting on the COVID-19 task force's report via video conference at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.
The President noted that medical workers are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus infection since they have the closest contact with COVID-19 patients.
All medical workers are at the forefront in the battle against the wider spread of coronavirus in the country, he noted.
"I want the doctors, nurses and other medical workers at hospitals serving COVID-19 patients to receive the maximum protection," President Widodo said.
Also, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Wednesday (March 18) that the government has prioritized the allocation of the 2020 state budget fund for public health.
The government is considering the incorporation of the health sector in the third round of policy packages it will soon issue. The policy package will also cover a social safety net and the government's support for affected business undertakings.
Budget allocations for the health sector will be intended to strengthen the supplies of medical devices, protective clothing, masks and hand sanitizers, and increase the capacity of hospitals to handle COVID-19 patients.
As of Wednesday (March 18), the number of patients with positive coronavirus infections in the country reached 227. Of the total, 19 have died and 11 recovered.
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Translator: Indra Arief Pribadi/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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