The province has already drafted an operational plan to handle the pandemic, executive chairman of the West Papua COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Derek Ampnir, said in Manokwari on Monday.
The operational plan has been drawn up to ensure that the disaster can be handled properly using available medical resources, security forces, and volunteers, he explained.
“We will take into account the health services. For example, if there are health workers in exposed health facilities, they will calculate how long they have to be rested. If there are no more health workers there, then yes, we would have to find volunteers," Ampnir informed.
He further said that the Health Office will look into the technicalities to ensure the availability of health workers in facilities such as health centers and hospitals so that uninterrupted health services can be provided to the people of West Papua.
"The time limit for isolation of COVID-19 patients is 14 days. If it is health workers who are exposed to it (coronavirus), their absence must be filled so that services can continue," he explained.
Although it affects the use of the budget, the measure must be taken so that all health facilities in West Papua can operate normally, he noted adding that he hoped the work of all health workers in the province would be optimized.
Apart from Manokwari, a large number of health workers have been exposed to COVID-19 in Bintuni Bay, Sorong, and Raja Ampat, he informed.
The West Papua government is striving to ensure that this does not impact the stability of health services, he said.
"We are very concerned that they (health workers) have a big role in handling COVID-19. For this reason, we have continued to urge all health workers to be truly disciplined in implementing health protocols — wherever they are, when working, or doing activities outside of their duties," he said.
Chairperson of the Manokwari district’s COVID-19 task force, Dr. Henri Sembiring, had earlier stated that a number of Community Health Facilities (Puskesmas) in Manokwari had to be temporarily closed because health workers at the facilities had tested positive for coronavirus.
In Manokwari, he said, the cluster of health workers testing positive has so far reached 73 — 37 of them are being treated in hospitals, while 36 are being treated in Puskesmas.
The number of health workers exposed to COVID-19 in the district has continued to increase since last week, he said. (INE)
Related news: Manokwari's 38 healthcare workers contract COVID-19
Related news: 36 Army officers contract COVID-19 in West Papua
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Toyiban/Aria Cindyara
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
