3 Doctors Reportedly Died due to COVID-19 Exposure

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As many as three doctors have reportedly died due to exposure to COVID-19 on Saturday, all of them based in Bekasi and Bogor, West Java, and Bintaro, South Jakarta.

According to information received, two of them died after being treated at the Persahabatan Hospital, while the other passed away at the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital, Jakarta.

"We haven't got the data yet, but the details will be conveyed by the (hospital's) chairman later," said Head of Public Relations of Persahabatan Hospital, Eryuni Yanti upon confirmation by Antara in Jakarta, Sunday.

The news of the death of one of the doctors, who was a surgeon, was announced by a doctor named Pandu Priono in a tweet on his Twitter account. In the tweet he uploaded on Saturday night, he mentioned that his colleague was suspected of being exposed to COVID-19 while treating patients infected with the virus.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Indonesian Doctors Association of  Bekasi chapter, Komarudin Askar, stated upon confirmation that two of the three doctors were members of the  chapter of the association.

Both  had records of existing diseases, as the deceased doctor from Bogor had history of liver failure, whilst the doctor from Bekasi, who died at the Persahabatan hospital, had history of diabetes. "We are waiting for  the information that had yet to be released by Persahabatan hospital, on whether they died due to COVID-19 infection or not," he said.

In response to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the capital city, the  Jakarta Provincial Government will conduct disinfecting measures in five administrative municipal areas simultaneously on Sunday.

The activity will start at 8 am until 10 am local time, and will have impact on the closure of a number of roads in Jakarta.

ANTARA