COVID-19 Patients Soar, Indonesian Doctors Association Asks The Government To Mitigate Oxygen Stocks

JAKARTA - The head of the COVID-19 Task Force for the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB IDI), Zubairi Djoerban, has encouraged the government to prepare oxygen stocks for emergency needs. Moreover, COVID-19 cases are still increasing.

This is in response to the existence of hospitals (RS) in a number of areas that are reported to be starting to lack oxygen supply due to the increasing number of COVID-19 patients. The impact of the spike in COVID-19 cases after Eid al-Fitr.

"It's not a bad hope. But it's better if we encourage the government to prepare oxygen stocks for emergency needs", said Zubairi in his statement, Wednesday, June 23.

He also asked for stock decentralization in several areas so that it would not interfere with oxygen supply.

"Such as decentralizing stocks in several areas so that they are immediately available if supply is interrupted. Hopefully, we have mitigation for this", he said.

The Association of Indonesian Hospitals (PERSI) a few days ago through the Secretary-General of PERSI, Lia G Partakusuma also said that his party had received reports of a lack of oxygen in Central Java. In fact, it is reported that the hospital in DI Yogyakarta is also experiencing a shortage of oxygen supply.

For this reason, Zubairi asked the regions to also mitigate oxygen stocks from now on.

“A few months ago we actually had enough time to mitigate the oxygen crisis, as is happening in Yogyakarta today. Moreover, oxygen is key in treating some COVID-19 patients. I hope that other areas have mitigation of this oxygen stock from now on. It is mandatory", he said.