The president has emphasized the need to give optimum protection to doctors and other medical workers at the forefront of the battle.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has ordered to ensure the provision of best-possible protection to medical workers as the vanguard against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The head of state urged his aides to take requisite measures to stave off further deaths of medical workers from COVID-19.

"The president has emphasized the need to offer optimum protection to doctors and other medical workers at the forefront of the battle," Doni Monardo, head of the Task Force for Acceleration of the COVID-19 Handling, stated after a virtual meeting with President Jokowi here on Monday.

The efforts encompass ensuring the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medical workers handling COVID-19 patients.

"We do not want to see more doctors die owing to a lack of protection. We need to cooperate with all parties to ensure that doctors would receive better protection," he remarked.

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At the meeting, Monardo drew attention to the president’s emphasis on the need to provide PPE that meet the World Health Organization (WHO) standard.

According to Monardo, the government has called for massive socialization on the use of telemedicine application to reduce individual interaction at hospitals and to curb COVID-19 transmission.

"There are 20 startups in the healthcare sector, and one million people have used the chatbox facilities. The health minister has also reported the declining number of consultations on COVID-19, and an increase trend of non-COVID-19 consultations," he stated.

As of Sunday (April 19), the task force had reported 6,575 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, 686 patients cured of the disease, while 582 patients dying of the virus.

In addition, the task force reported 178,883 people under surveillance (ODP) and 15,646 patients under Surveillance (PDP).
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Translator: Indra AP, Sri Haryati
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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