"For referral at the national level, we have readied the Sulianti Saroso Hospital. However, in all provinces, there are also hospitals under the Ministry of Health that are ready to provide treatment," Tarmizi stated at a webinar titled “Protect Children from Acute Hepatitis”, accessed here on Friday.
In addition, the ministry has cooperated with the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) and networks of pediatric specialists in all districts and cities to monitor and follow further developments in the handling of acute hepatitis.
Meanwhile, to facilitate the handling of cases of acute hepatitis with severe symptoms, the Ministry of Health provides examination services at four laboratories that can be used as referrals, specifically the Sulianti Saroso Hospital, National Laboratory of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Dr Sri Oemijati National Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, and the laboratory in Nusantik.
At the regional level, Tarmizi affirmed that the ministry had coordinated with regional governments to ready the public hospital in each region as a referral in handling acute hepatitis cases.
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Tarmizi noted that efforts to ready health facilities are aimed at preventing fatalities among patients and accelerating handling with early detection.
The spokesperson assessed that acute hepatitis must not be downplayed, and all parties must remain alert in protecting their children because the cause or the type of virus is still unknown.
To this end, she urged everyone to implement a clean and healthy lifestyle by regularly washing hands, eating cooked food, drinking clean water, wearing masks, and completing children's immunization with the hepatitis B vaccine.
The Ministry of Health had increased vigilance against a mysterious form of acute hepatitis that is affecting children in several countries. The ministry sent a letter of vigilance to the provincial, district, and city health offices, specifically Circular Letter Number HK.02.02/C/2515/2022, concerning precautions for the discovery of acute hepatitis cases of unknown etiology.
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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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