When The Price Of Elite Life Is Equivalent To The People, Is It Important For Official Hospitals?

JAKARTA - The daily cases of COVID-19 and the national death toll continue to hit record highs in recent days. As a result, many hospitals (RS) have collapsed. But in the midst of a crisis situation like this, an extraordinary proposal emerged from an official. He said the government needed to make a special hospital for officials. Hopefully, he doesn't think that the price of an official's life is more valuable than ordinary people.

Today, July 8, the daily number of COVID-19 broke another record. There were 38,391 new cases recorded with 852 patients died. The number of Indonesian cases is now in the third largest position in the world after Brazil and India.

The craze for COVID-19 cases has paralyzed health facilities. Almost every day we can easily see on social media someone who is looking for information on the availability of hospitals, both to treat COVID-19 and other diseases.

For example, Fauzi, a private employee in Jakarta, told VOI how difficult it was to find a hospital. Last Monday, Fauzi told about his bude going around looking for hospitals from Jakarta to Depok.

Of the seven hospitals visited, all refused because they were already filled with COVID-19 patients. Budenya Fauzi did not give up. Until he arrived at the eighth hospital in Depok, his life could not be saved.

"Everyone refused because they said it was full of COVID-19... Died exhausted in the eighth hospital. Finally buried in Depok at his son's house, because it was closer, it was night, and PPKM was also Emergency," said Fauzi to VOI.

The same experience being rejected by the hospital was also experienced by his friend Fauzi who was exposed to COVID-19. Even though he has taken advantage of the relationship with the head of the health office to the mayor in Depok, he still cannot get access.

"Already using the channel from the head of the health department to the mayor, he still cannot get treatment at the hospital. He has been forced to self-isolate in a makeshift house until now," said Fauzi.

The danger of COVID-19 is indeed indiscriminate. The middle, upper and lower classes are all affected. Whether from those who are close to officials or ordinary people, no one is immune from his threats.

In addition to patients who died during hospitalization, many communities reported the death of their family members or colleagues at home while undergoing self-isolation. According to LaporCovid19, on July 3, there were at least 265 people with COVID-19 who died while in self-isolation at home.

"We found at least 265 people who died positive for Covid-19 who were in self-isolation at home, while trying to find health facilities, and while waiting in line at the hospital emergency room. Deaths outside these health facilities occurred only during June 2021 until July 2, 2021," it said.

A total of 265 fatalities were spread across 47 cities and regencies from 10 provinces, namely DKI Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java, DIY, East Java, Lampung, Riau Islands, Riau, and NTT. LaporCovid19 said this phenomenon is a real portrait of the collapse of health facilities.

In the midst of a health crisis like this, a party official made a suggestion by asking the government to establish a special COVID-19 hospital for officials. This immediately sparked public criticism. The reason is that the price of the lives of officials and people is actually the same.

The proposal came from the Deputy Secretary General of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Rosaline Irine Rumaseuw. He got the idea after reflecting on his experience in finding it difficult to find hospital beds for officials.

"I am sad, (in) one, two months this has helped state officials to refer to hospitals in Jakarta, the government has forgotten that it must provide health facilities for state officials," said Rosaline in the release of the Median survey.

The statement immediately drew a lot of criticism. One of them is Epidemiologist from Griffith University Australia, Dicky Budiman. According to him, proposing a special hospital for officials in the midst of a crisis situation like now is an injustice.

"That in terms of people having positions, it is natural that there is handling in terms of different benefits. But in the case of a pandemic, of course if the proposal for specific officials does not describe equality or justice," said Dicky when contacted by VOI.

According to him, we cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that some officials, such as regional heads and the president, are indeed given more facilities for this health service. But that doesn't mean you have to make an exclusive hospital for officials. "Specification does exist, but if it's too vulgar, then it's not good."

After all, according to Dicky, the price of a human's life is not measured by his position. According to him, the price of a human life is equal. So there can be no discrimination.

"All lives are equal, not measured by their position. We must respect them according to equality in assessing lives, so there should be no discrimination. It is the responsibility of every level of government to prioritize public health," he concluded.

*Read other information about COVID-19 or other interesting articles from Ramdan Febrian Arifin.