Public Urges Government To Apologize Regarding Handling COVID-19, KSP: What Is The Urgency?

JAKARTA - Public pressure for the government to apologize for the chaotic handling of COVID-19 was responded to by the Main Expert of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Ade Irfan Pulungan who asked the urgency of the request.

According to him, the request for an apology was not appropriate. The reason is that the current problems must be seen in a balanced way between the policies that have been made by the government and community discipline in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I'm sorry, what's the urgency? That's why it has to be seen from how. Don't look at it from an emotional and personal perspective, there must also be a balance between the government and the community," Ade told reporters quoted Thursday, July 8.

He gave an example that there are still many people who do not comply with the ban on going home during the last Eid holiday even though the restrictions have been put in place. "But there are also many of our people who say tradition, want to meet parents, and others. It's difficult for us to be faced with that situation," he said.

"Then there are also those who have escaped how many million (homecomers, red) are. There are also some of our stakeholders who travel. There is also that and it can't be denied," added Ade.

Thus, he considers the insistence on an apology that led to a request that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) resign from his position is considered to be of no urgency.

Ade assessed that the most important thing is that all parties without exception help the government solve the problem of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. "Yes, there is no (urgency, red). Everyone must see this pandemic as a problem for all of us," he said.

"If I may say it like this, we need an example from the leadership. But we also need discipline and awareness from the community," added Ade.

Previously reported, the initiator of LaporCovid-19 volunteer Irma Hidayat urged the government to apologize to the public for the chaos in handling the pandemic. He said his team had found it very difficult to find a hospital that still provided beds for patients with confirmed coronavirus.

"We are flooded with messages from residents asking for help to get medical services. But, for the most part, 90 percent of it doesn't work. Now there are too many morbidity and mortality rates that have actually been prevented," said Irma in a virtual discussion, Monday, July 5th.

Not to mention, the government is still adamant about the bed occupancy data they collect. In fact, LaporCovid-19 found data delays regarding the availability of isolation beds and the COVID-19 ICU.

He gave an example of the availability of beds on the official channel of the DKI Health Office, namely http://eis.dinkes.jakarta.go.id. In the site, listed a number of beds available in several hospitals.

However, when the LaporCovid-19 team confirmed to the hospital it was full.

"The hospital beds in the field are full. But the data still exists and the government uses this data, data that is only statistical figures. Not data that reflects the situation on the ground," he said.

In addition to Irma, researcher at the Research, Education, and Economic and Social Information Institute (LP3ES) Herlambang Wiratraman revealed three facts that prove the government failed to protect the people from the COVID-19 spike.

First, the surge in cases and the ongoing increase in COVID-19 deaths. Plus, with the outbreak of a new variant of COVID-19 in Indonesia.

Second, current health care facilities, according to Herlambang, can be said to have collapsed or collapsed. Many hospital admissions today are no longer able to accept COVID-19 patients, so rejections occur everywhere.

As a result, said Herlambang, many COVID-19 patients whose health conditions are getting worse due to not receiving health services. In fact, not a few people who tested positive for COVID-19 died.

The third fact is the failure of the state to protect the people is the high number of health workers who are exposed and die. The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) noted that as of 27 June, 405 doctors had died.

"So, these three facts alone are actually more than enough to say the state has failed to protect its people," said Herlambang.