PT INKA's Emergency Hospital Treating 60 COVID-19 Patients

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned train manufacturer PT Industri Kereta Api Indonesia (INKA) has converted the coaches of two trains into a COVID-19 emergency hospital that can accommodate up to 96 patients in Madiun city, East Java.

With the city recording a spike in new infections over the past few weeks, at least 60 COVID-19 patients are being treated at the hospital's isolation rooms at present, said director of development at PT INKA, Agung Sedaju.

The total number of incoming patients has significantly increased, he observed. Five months ago, that is, in the early days of its operations, the PT INKA-initiated emergency hospital only received ten to 14 people, he said on Monday.

During the first four months of its operation, the emergency hospital was assisted by Madiun city administration's medical workers, while its operational expenses were handled by PT INKA, he added.

At present, the hospital is relying on the city administration and donations from the company’s partners for managing operational costs, he said, adding that the hospital is open to donations.

Donors can provide food packages, toiletries, and even cash, Sedaju said. Due to limited human resources at the company’s clinic, PT INKA is planning to recruit a doctor to assist three nurses to support the hospital's services, he added.

Madiun city, which has been battling a spike in COVID-19 cases, has recorded 3,662 new cases, 2,895 recoveries, and 231 deaths as of Monday.

Currently, 496 patients remain under the COVID-19 task force's surveillance in the city, which has added 77 confirmed cases over the past 24 hours.

The COVID-19 pandemic initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019 and subsequently spread across the globe, including to countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Indonesian government announced the country's first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.

Since then, the central and regional governments have striven incessantly to flatten the nation's coronavirus curve by applying healthcare protocols and public activity restrictions.

As part of the efforts to win the fight against COVID-19, the Indonesian government has also been conducting a nationwide vaccination program to contain infections since January 13, 2021.

Amid the ongoing vaccination drive, Indonesia has been hit by a second wave of new COVID-19 infections.

The country recorded 27,233 new infections as of Sunday noon (July 4, 2021), which took the total tally to 2,284,084.

Read also: Report COVID-19: Govt Must Admit State of Emergency, Apologize to Citizens

ANTARA