TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Private Hospital Association (ARSSI) Secretary-General, Iing Ichsan Hanafi, said the occupancy rate of isolation beds and intensive care units (ICU) for Covid-19 patients remained high.

“There has been no decline. It is still above 80 percent even though more rooms are added,” said Iing on Tuesday, January 26.

According to him, some hospitals had implemented a queue management system since early January 2021 as rooms were fully occupied.

Iing underlined that the surge in patients must be addressed by all parties given the limited capacity of medical facilities in Jakarta. “This condition does not only occur in Jakarta but also Bodetabek (Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi).”

Increasing the capacity could be the short-term solution. However, he argued, it would not be easy since hospitals must first prepare a zoning system, infrastructure, and human resources. “It is not the best solution,” he said.

The best measure to suppress the surge in patients, according to him, was to enforce the health protocols of 5M, namely washing hands, wearing face masks, maintaining distance, staying away from crowds, and limiting mobility.

Iing went on to mention that 30 percent of beds in private hospitals have been used to treat Covid-19 patients, and 70 out of 130 private hospitals in Jakarta have been designated as referral hospitals.

“What is needed now is public awareness [of the health protocols] because there has not been a decrease in the number of patients,” Iing said.

Also Read: Indonesia Surpasses 1mn Covid-19 Cases; Jakarta to Add More Hospitals

IMAM HAMDI