Hero's Award Honored for Medics Who Passed Away to COVID-19

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chief of the Indonesian National Nurses Association (PPNI) Harif Fadhilah has stated that the Indonesian National Nurses Association will give awards to nurses who passed away in the line of duty, amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

"PPNI will award the deceased as heroes of humanity through their family," Harif told Tempo, on Monday, March 23, 2020.

Continuing on, Harif detailed that PPNI will visit the family home of the nurses who had passed away, after 14 days of isolation.

Thus far, PPNI has only received reports that one nurse passed away as a positive COVID-19 patient. The 37 years old nurse was an employee at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM), and passed away at Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital, North Jakarta.

PPNI, added Harif, had requested attention from the government as information on the passing away of the nurse was not initially conveyed. As a result, Harif hopes that Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital will report the passing away to the COVID-19 Task Force.

"Hopefully, the place of work, RSCM, reports to the Task Force to get compensation" said Harif.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, a number of medical personnel have continued to put their life on the line; resulting in a number of doctors passing away. According to the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), there have been six IDI doctors who have passed due to the pandemic.

They included the South Jakarta IDI member, Hadio Ali; the City of Bogor IDI member, Djoko Judodjoko; East Jakarta IDI member, Laurentius P; Bekasi City IDI member Adi Mirsaputra; Medan IDI member Ucok Martin; and West Bandung IDI member, Toni D. Silitonga.

The doctors have been declared victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, except for doctor Toni D. Silitonga who passed due to exhaustion and heart attack. The deceased was the West Bandung Health Service Chief of Infectious Disease Control, as well as a member of the COVID-19 Task Force.

FRISKI RIANA | DIO SUHENDA (INTERN TRANSLATOR)