TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) East Java chapter, Sutrisno, said the pressure of hospital and healthcare workers in the region was increasing due to Covid-19 cases that went out of control.

The number of patients exceeds hospital capacity, which makes it risky for medical workers to be in such a condition.

East Java IDI recorded at least 64 doctors tested positive for Covid-19 and eight of them have died. “The problem is that it takes time for the result of swab and PCR tests to come out, that’s what’s hampering [us] in the field,” said the obstetrics and gynecologist, Sutrisno, on Saturday, June 20.

In addition, as many as 22 residential doctors at Medical Faculty of Airlangga University also tested positive for the new coronavirus disease.

According to Sutrisno, this condition is out of control. “It’s out of control. Even PSBB (Covid-19 restriction) can’t control the people,” he told Tempo today.

He said that people have important role to actively implement health measures but he observed that many still wandering the road without wearing face masks.

Cafés and malls in Surabaya are also crowded with visitors. A lot of people are seen wandering around and hang out on the roadsides. Sutrisno doubted that the policing approach by the authorities could be effective in such conditions.

He said there is no hope in cutting the chain of virus transmission unless the people strictly adhere to health protocols. Another possibility is waiting for the medicine and vaccine of Covid-19.

“Surabaya is out of control, we can only wait for the medicine and vaccine. Don’t expect [for an improvement] if the people can’t take care of themselves and their family,” Sutrisno remarked.

Read: 22 Resident Doctors at Dr Soetomo Hospital Contract COVID-19

Budiarti Utami Putri