IDI Asks 200 Thousand Doctors To Be On Standby To Face Spike In COVID-19 Cases Until July

JAKARTA - The chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB IDI) Executive Board, Dr. Daeng M Faqih, appealed to all doctors in Indonesia to be prepared until the end of July to face a possible spike in COVID-19 cases.

"We urge all doctors in Indonesia to be ready until the end of July 2021 and to be careful if their energy is needed. We pray that the surge does not reach the same as in January 2021," he said as quoted by Antara, Thursday, May 27.

Daeng conveyed this appeal to around 200 thousand doctors who are members of the Archipelago Doctors Movement Forum to all exert their power and efforts to deal with COVID-19 when a surge occurs.

"We do not only rely on certain specialist doctors, which are limited in number, such as pulmonary specialists, anesthetists and others. Because if there is a surge, they will not be able to," continued Daeng.

For this reason, PB IDI has issued a policy so that all doctors in Indonesia can handle COVID-19 cases through training.

"Of course, not all doctors can handle COVID-19 specifically, such as installing an incubation device, ventilators are still in the competence of certain doctors who are technically good at it," he said.

Daeng revealed that currently not all doctors have the courage to treat COVID-19 patients.

A case in point, he said, was during a medical personnel crisis in Surabaya, because doctors in East Java were particularly afraid at that time.

"I coordinated with the COVID-19 Handling Task Force until finally we made a decision from the center to give 25 doctors. We will continue to provide them for the 'backup' of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force," said Daeng.

At the time of the spike in cases that took place in February 2021, there were 59 severe cases of phase three experienced by COVID-19 doctors.

"Usually 80 percent of patients with severe phase three cases could die without special treatment. But of the 59 cases, 50 doctors were saved," he said.

"Doctors also have a human side, fear. So PB IDI continues to encourage. Many doctors are also afraid. We assure you that doctors are not alone. "said Daeng.