Madiun Forms Special Team to Anticipate Coronavirus Attack

TEMPO.CO, Madiun - Regional General Hospital (RSUD) Dr. Soedono, Madiun, East Java, has formed a special team to to deal with patients who at any time enter the hospital due to coronavirus attack.

The Hospital Director, Dr. Soedono Bangun Trapsila Purwaka, stated that the special team consisted of 20 people including pulmonologist (doctor who treat lung diseases), radiology specialists, and nurses in the emergency room. "The team is ready as well as the facilities and infrastructure," said Bangun on Monday, January 27, 2020.

Bangun also said that the hospital also provides N95 masks that is considered to be able to filter fine particles. Besides the masks, personal protective equipment (PPE) which includes headgear (surgical caps), glasses, special clothes, and boots also have been provided.

PPE is used by medical staff and the families of coronavirus suspects in the isolation room. Thus, the potential for airborne transmission can be avoided. "We are preparing four isolation rooms with beds included," said Bangun.

These preparations conducted by the hospital is a follow up from the order that was given by the East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, in order to tackle the transmission of coronavirus outbreak. Despite there has yet a patient with signs of coronavirus being treated, anticipation can be done by the residents.

For residents in Madiun and surrounding areas who suffer from high fever accompanied by coughing and shortness of breath, they are expected to immediately report themselves to do an inspection at their nearest health centers. If the patients are proven to be infected with coronavirus, they will be referred to Dr. Soedono Regional Hospital.

"If there are such patients, we will immediately treat them in isolation room while waiting for the laboratory test results in Surabaya or Jakarta," Bangun said.

Nofika Dian Nugroho (Contributor) | Safira Andini (Intern Translator)