I urge the health minister to conduct an audit and correction of security protocols for paramedics and patients at all hospitals.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) instructed Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto to audit security and health protocols at hospitals amid mounting number of cases of paramedics succumbing to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Auditing health protocols for patients and paramedics is deemed necessary to ensure that hospitals are secure places rather than being new clusters of COVID-19 transmission, he noted at a limited meeting held via video teleconference at the Merdeka Palace here on Monday.

"I urge the health minister to conduct an audit and correction of security protocols for paramedics and patients at all hospitals," he noted at the meeting held to discuss a report from the Committee for the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery.

The president also urged the minister to ensure sufficient capacity of beds and intensive care units (ICUs) at referral hospitals.

"Ensure the availability of beds and ICUs at referral hospitals for serious cases," he emphasized.

The head of state further highlighted the government assurance of the availability of self-isolation rooms for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and those with mild symptoms of COVID-19 at the Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital in Kemayoran, Jakarta, medical training halls, and one- and two-star hotels.

"The government has also readied quarantine centers for patients with mild symptoms of coronavirus in order to not self-isolate. This is also important (because they have) the potential to transmit the virus to other family members. We have cooperated with one- and two-star hotels in providing quarantine facilities," he noted.

Some 115 Indonesian doctors have died of COVID-19 since the country reported the first confirmed COVID-19 cases in March 2020.

The doctors comprised 57 general practitioners, 51 specialists, and seven professors, according to the updated data from the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) mitigation team for the COVID-19 pandemic on Saturday (Sept 12).

Chief of the IDI mitigation team Dr Adib Khumaidi noted that the doctors were exposed to the virus while treating COVID-19 patients and taking medical action on patients later found to have contracted COVID-19

In addition, they likely contracted the virus through non-medical services, such as close contact with family members and other people, he pointed out.

Indonesia recorded 3,683 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, thereby taking the tally to 218,382. Of the total, 155,010 patients recovered from the disease, while 8,723 patients succumbed to the virus.
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Translator: Indra Arief P/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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