Bandung (ANTARA) - The Bandung City Health Service in West Java confirmed that isolation facilities provided by hospitals for COVID-19 patients were converted to handle general patients following a decline in COVID-19 cases in the city.

Head of Service Division at the Bandung City Health Service, Yorisa Sativa, noted that almost half of the around two thousand beds provided to treat COVID-19 patients in hospitals were converted to treat non-COVID-19 patients.

"The isolation rooms have reverted to offering non-COVID-19 services since non-COVID-19 patients have started to visit the hospital again, and they must be served," Sativa explained on Thursday.

Some of the health workers, who were earlier specifically assigned to handle COVID-19 patients, have also been transferred to provide general medical services, he noted.

Nevertheless, the hospital that became the referral facility for handling COVID-19 patients in Bandung was still alerted to the possibility of an increase in cases in the wake of the coronavirus third wave at the end of 2021, Sativa added.

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"Everyone is alerted by preparing everything, right from the bed, health workers, and oxygen cylinders, to other supporting elements for handling COVID-19," he remarked.

He also called on the hospital management to continue to monitor developments in terms of the COVID-19 cases.

"We also conduct continuous monitoring," he remarked while informing that case monitoring was conducted through the number and percentage of hospital visits.

The occupancy rate of patient beds at 30 referral hospitals for handling COVID-19 in Bandung City had dropped to around five percent.

Of the 1,060 beds provided to treat COVID-19 patients, only 53 units were used.

Meanwhile, the bed occupancy rate for COVID-19 patients at the Rotinsulu Lung Hospital was recorded as the highest, with 12 COVID-19 patients being treated.

Related news: Bandung expedites COVID-19 testing to anticipate third wave

Translator: Bagus Ahmad R, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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