TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Ombudsman commissioner, Alvin Lie, strongly reminds that coronavirus (COVID-19) tests shall not discriminate its test subjects following the coronavirus test held at the house of Indonesian tycoon Jerry Hermawan Lo, which was attended by chairman of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Mochamad Iriawan.

”Representing the Ombudsman, I ask for practices like this to be put to an end at this moment,” Alvin declared, defining the institution’s role in serving the public on Wednesday, March 25.

The Ombudsman commissioner said coronavirus tests are meant to serve the needs of people currently residing in hospitals.

He recalled his visit to the Wongsonegoro General Hospital in Semarang, Central Java to attend a rapid test for COVID-19, when he saw that people were treated based on who registered first, which was followed by an interview to determine the level of urgency a person is in.

”State-ministers, state officials from numerous state-instances arrived at the hospital to undergo the test,” Alvin said.

Coronavirus tests are prioritized for those who came in contact or are within a social circle of those who have been declared positive. He asserts that this protocol had been imposed to overcome the limited number of medical staff and equipment amid the outbreak.

He explained that a video went viral on social media platforms the day before, which showed a Royal Progress Hospital ambulance parked at the house owned by Jerry, which he said was used by the businessman to check the health of himself and his family members.

According to a written statement on Wednesday by Jerry Hermawan Lo, he had invited a doctor from the aforementioned hospital to his home as coronavirus rapid tests are not publicly available. He also defends that it was necessary to determine whether his employees at home have been exposed to COVID-19 or not.

As for the PSSI chairman’s presence there, Jerry said he offered the football organization to undergo the same tests as him.

BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI