JAKARTA - The administration of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) together with Vice President KH Ma'ruf Amin celebrated their one year anniversary on Tuesday, October 20. The government released a performance report, including how Jokowi-Ma'ruf led the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The toughest test. There are so many things that need to be explained to the public. The chapter dominates with a description of more than 30 pages. Everything on record is good. This article is a comparison to what is not recorded in Jokowi-Ma'ruf's one-year performance report.
“Don't let the crisis lead to setbacks. We must use this crisis as a momentum to make a big leap, "Jokowi's quote was written in the opening of the report.
Brief, but important to explore. This crisis is very bad indeed and so difficult to deal with. The world is in panic. Tens of millions of people are infected with the corona virus. Millions of people died. Neither country has really succeeded. Then, how can the government call the pandemic a momentum to make a big leap?
We chatted with Griffith University epidemiologist, Australia, Dicky Budiman. Dicky is happy for that quote. However, government statements only make sense if all policies are carried out quickly and accurately. Pandemics are devastating. However, every country must learn and adapt.
All policies related to pandemics must be scientifically measured in order to achieve a solid system improvement going forward. Dicky analogized a pandemic for a country like a heart attack for someone. When saved, the person must change their lifestyle to avoid the threat of another heart attack.
"I agree. But the policy must really be carried out. Because once again we are entering the era of a pandemic, where the threat of a pandemic can accelerate. The gap used to be every five years. Now it can be even faster. So this should be a momentum for system improvement, "said Dicky to VOI, Tuesday, October 20.
Then, is the government fast enough? According to the government's version of the performance report, yes. However, we note another view of Dicky. Since the first cases emerged in March, the government has not met the standards for the COVID-19 test. There is an increase, indeed. But not quite.
Our World in Data site records that the average daily test rate in Indonesia from 1 August to 20 October is 30 thousand. The minimum test was recorded on August 2, with 6,428 tests. Meanwhile, the highest test occurred on September 23, with the test number reaching 56,563.
The government, in August, admitted that the number of daily tests in Indonesia was still far below the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The standard set by WHO for each country is a test at a ratio of one per thousand people per week. This means that if there are 267 million people in Indonesia, the government should ideally test 267,700 people per week.
The Jokowi-Ma'ruf report also contains figures. In data compiled as of October 11, the authorities list the ratio, but with different variables. If the WHO standard sets the rate at one per thousand people per week, the authority's report lists the figure of 8,539 specimens per one million population. With that number, it means that 2.31 million people have been tested.
Timeline
Another interesting aspect of the government's alertness narrative is the inclusion of a timeline, which contains the government's response from time to time. Starting from the announcement of the first virus in China in December 2019, the evacuation of Indonesian citizens from Wuhan to Natuna to be quarantined in February 2020, the determination of the National Disaster status and the ban on Lebaran homecoming in April 2020, until the decision to shift the regional elections to December announced in May. The following is a snippet from the government version of the report sheet.
Everything is right. However, so much goes unrecorded. We have to acknowledge the progress and improvements made by the government. However, if we talk about response and alertness, we also need to remember the response of the Indonesian government in the early days of the pandemic attacking the world. Some of the ones we remember are ridiculous.
Long before today, to be precise December 31, 2019, Chinese authorities reported cases of a new type of pneumonia - recently identified as being caused by a new type of corona virus - to the World Health Organization (WHO). January 11, two days after WHO published its procedures for detection of the new coronavirus, the first death was reported in China.
Four days after the death, WHO warned of a potential spread of the virus based on evidence of human-to-human transmission. Hospitals around the world are on high alert. On the same day, in Indonesia, Minister of Health (Menkes) Terawan Agus Putranto appealed to all parties in the country to be vigilant. Ports and airports are alerted. On January 20, the first cases outside China were reported in Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.
The Indonesian government responded by activating body temperature scanners at all entrances to the country, both land and air. The situation in China is getting worse. January 23, the government imposed a lockdown policy in Wuhan City.
The world's worries are increasing. However, on January 27, Jokowi confirmed that there was no indication of the entry of the corona virus into Indonesia. One day later, Indonesia set a travel warning to Hubei Province. On January 30, WHO declared a state of emergency for the coronavirus outbreak. Entering February, the spread of the corona virus in the world is increasingly widespread. This month is the toughest month for China and several other countries that have been affected.
For Indonesia, February was very bright. Stakeholders even get hooked. On March 3, at the Parliament Building, member of Commission IX of the DPR from the PDIP faction, Ribka Tjiptaning joked about the abbreviation of corona which he called "community rondo - in Javanese means widow - charming". The joke was conveyed in a working meeting with Minister of Health Terawan.
"That was explained by the pulmonologist on Metro TV, if I'm not mistaken, I see. This is more dangerous for MERS and SARS than that, than the corona. Unless the rondo community is charming. The danger is the inhabitants of the 'corona', because of the heart. -Be careful, right, "said Ribka, greeted by laughter from the meeting participants, reported by Warta Ekonomi.
On February 5, a large number of cases were recorded. 3,600 passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship are quarantined at the Port of Yokohama, Japan. This case is the first largest case outside China. On the same day, the first Indonesian citizen in Singapore was confirmed positive. Setali, Harvard University, United States (US) conveyed a bad omen that day. Through a study published in the journal medRxiv, the researchers concluded that Indonesia should have confirmed domestic cases.
Another incident on that day, Indonesia officially closed flights to and from China after receiving a referral from the WHO Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC). However, a day after the closure, 285 Chinese nationals were recorded as having entered Indonesia. Three more people followed on February 8.
Director of International and Interagency Customs at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Syarif Hidayat explained, it is possible that Chinese citizens can enter because they come with airlines from countries other than China. "It could be via another plane. Via Singapore, via Timor Leste," said Syarif, writing by Tirto.
A similar attitude shown by Ribka was also shown by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, when journalists asked about the suspicion of the corona virus in Batam. Luhut replied, "(Corona enters Batam?) Huh? Corona car?" he said, written Seconds.
Day by day, the news of the existence of the corona virus in Indonesia is strengthening. The government at that time was considered to be covering up the truth. Terawan responded by challenging Harvard University to prove his study first-hand. "Yes, Harvard told him to come here. I told him to open the door to have a look. Nothing was covered," said Terawan.
On February 13, Singaporean company Temasek Foundation offered assistance to Indonesia with a coronavirus testing kit. Indonesia is asked to be serious about detection. However, Terawan refused the assistance because he felt that the tools owned by the Indonesian authorities were in accordance with WHO standards. Later, Jokowi denied the rejection.
Several days later, it was the turn of the Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Budi Karya Sumadi to make a joke. According to him, Indonesians have super immunity because they like to eat cat rice. "But (this is) a joke with the President, yes. God willing, yes, (the virus) COVID-19 does not enter Indonesia because every day we eat cat rice, it becomes immune," said Budi, written by Republika. One month after this statement, March 16 to be precise, Budi Karya tested positive for COVID-19.
The Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia also joined in. He said the difficulty in licensing investors in Indonesia had an impact on the difficulty of the corona virus entering Indonesia. "Until he said the corona virus did not enter Indonesia because the permit was difficult," he said.
On February 21, an outbreak of cases occurred in South Korea. The spread was very fast at Shincheonji Church, Daegu City. The situation is getting worse. Two days after the outbreak in South Korea, Italy decided to lock down a number of areas. Access to ten cities in Lombardy was closed.
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Amid these conditions, a "brilliant" idea emerged in the head of the Indonesian government. They budgeted Rp72 billion to promote Indonesian tourism through buzzers on social media. This is done to counteract the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector. The government had a strategy of targeting tourists from countries that - at that time - were still safe, such as Australia and several European countries that were not affected.
In addition to the buzzer, the government also provided IDR 443.39 billion as an incentive for 30 percent discount on airplane tickets to ten tourist destinations in Indonesia. The discount, which takes effect from March to May 2020, is targeted to be enjoyed by 25 percent of passengers per plane. "We provide support for ten tourist destinations not to collect hotel and restaurant taxes," said Finance Minister (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani.
On March 2, President Jokowi announced the first two domestic cases of COVID-19. A 61-year-old mother and 31-year-old child who live in Depok, West Java have tested positive. Jokowi, on that occasion, stated that Indonesia is ready to handle COVID-19. "From the start, the government has really prepared more than one hundred hospitals with good isolation rooms," Jokowi said that day.
On the same day, in a different place, Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto explained that the first infection occurred in a 31-year-old patient who was dancing with a Japanese citizen on February 14. After the dance on Valentine's night, he had a prolonged cough and finally tested positive for COVID-19 on February 28.
The problem is, the identification of the new corona virus was confirmed after the Japanese citizen informed the 31-year-old patient that the Japanese national had tested positive for COVID-19 by a hospital in Malaysia. Something's not right here. First, the virus was not identified from the start. This has implications for the treatment of the two patients who were carried out outside the isolation room. Imagine, what happens if Japanese citizens never call?
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Achmad Yurianto, admitted this weakness to VOI. He acknowledged the delay in identifying the corona virus in the patient's body. "Indeed, if there is no telephone, we will find out more and more late. If there is no telephone, perhaps the hospital that treats it will not immediately move it," he said at the Ministry of Health's office on Tuesday, March 3.
According to Yuri, there were several reasons for the authority to identify them. First, the patient does not realize that he has the virus. He did not know the Japanese who danced with him had been exposed. Second, what many people feel is that the symptoms of COVID-19 are basically similar to several other diseases.
Even so, Yuri refused to be called a neglect. According to him, after receiving information from a third party, Mitra Keluarga Hospital immediately took action to transfer the two patients to RSPI Sulianti Saroso. "But, when there was information, there was contact tracking, then the hospital that treated it immediately moved it," said Yuri.
Confusion in the diagnosis has also occurred. A man in Cianjur tested positive for COVID-19 after passing away. At the beginning of the victim's death, Acting Regent of Cianjur, Herman Suherman, had stated that the victim's death was a COVID-19 case.
Herman was later reprimanded by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD. Herman called Mahfud had spread random news. To make matters worse, the central government asked local governments to be less capable. The full authority is in the hands of the central government.
However, recently, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil confirmed the death as a COVID-19 case. It was confirmed that the victim's wife and children were in an infected condition. Mahfud, shut up, no longer replied.
Three days after the announcement, Mahfud raised the question that the deaths of the corona virus were no more than the number of victims who died from the common cold. "The common cold has more victims who died," said Mahfud, written by Suara.com. On the same day, Indonesia prohibited entry to immigrants from Italy, South Korea and Iran, the three countries that were most affected at that time.
Four days later, this is the first time Indonesia has recorded a drastic increase in COVID-19 cases, from seven people on March 8 to 13 people that day. The last day, WHO encourages Indonesia to establish a national emergency status for COVID-19. The push was responded to by establishing the Nonalam National Disaster status for COVID-19 on March 14. First emergency status.
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Solid collaboration, he said
The government, in the report, also claims that the collaboration has been carried out, both nationally and internationally. The government, on page 10 of the report, writes a paragraph which essentially claims that Indonesia is capable of collaborating with other countries in the world in facing a pandemic.
I don't know what collaboration is meant because the infographic on that page doesn't specify anything, except for the number of cases, death tolls and recovery victims in countries with the highest COVID-19 cases, such as the United States (US), Brazil, and Argentina. The page also lists the number 19 as Indonesia's ranking.
Griffith University epidemiologist, Australia, Dicky Budiman did not see any reason to say that the government had carried out a solid collaboration - apart from that it was not explained in the report - with the international community. Dicky actually said, let alone the US, Brazil and Argentina, with ASEAN countries alone, no significant collaboration was seen.
"The collaboration is lacking, huh. Among ASEAN countries, only a few countries can respond quickly and precisely at the start of this pandemic. So that is what causes the trend of pandemic control in the ASEAN region, only a few countries have reached the successful stage. Especially, countries that responded quickly and accurately from the start, such as Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, later Malaysia, "said Dicky to VOI, Tuesday, October 20.
Then, collaboration at the national level with local governments. The central government under Jokowi is clearly experiencing many obstacles. The inability of the central government to coordinate regional movements is legible. The Indonesian Political Indicator Survey collects respondents' assessments regarding the comparison of the handling of COVID-19 by local and central governments.
As a result, only 36.8 percent of the elite group rated the central government's performance as good or very good in dealing with the corona virus outbreak. Meanwhile, 28 percent of respondents considered it normal. The rest, 34.9 percent even rated the handling of COVID-19 by the central government as bad or very bad.
IPI Executive Director Burhanuddin Muhtadi said the score was lower than the elite group's assessment regarding the handling of the pandemic by the provincial government (pemprov) which reached a value of 49.1 percent. The number of respondents viewed the provincial government as good or very good at handling COVID-19.
IPI involves specific groups in this survey. Burhanuddin explained that 304 respondents to the survey consisted of academics, mass media editors, health observers, professional organizations, and NGOs in 20 cities throughout Indonesia.
If there is anything praiseworthy in the Jokowi-Ma'ruf performance report, perhaps it is related to innovation. The report reads:
Creativity often appears in the midst of difficulties and crises. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) promotes innovation in the technology sector. No less than 60 research innovations were developed to deal with the pandemic. Main Innovation Products, including Robot Decontamination, or Microchip Rapid Diagnostic Test, ITS-UNAIR Robot Medical Assistant (RAISA) to Low Cost Mobile Ventilator have been found to facilitate the resistance to the pandemic. Meanwhile, there are also products of Supporting Innovation Products which produce food and beverage products with natural ingredients to maintain a healthy body.
Dicky agrees with the development of this innovation. Good thing, obviously. The government, in this context, only has to encourage improvements and encourage the emergence of more innovations based on local products. For example, to develop a rapid test, anti-gen, and so on. Without strong local and national support, the government itself will struggle to fight COVID-19.
Take, for example, when Indonesia was troubled by a shortage of PPE, hand sanitizer, and masks. "Trust in local products must be increased," said Dicky. In this case, each country will keep its own product reserves. So, making everything in the country with your own resources is the most sensible step.
At the same time, research bodies should be pushed even further. Research bodies should be encouraged to meet international research institute standards. The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), in particular, is very important in drug development and vaccine procurement in the future. In addition to the context of drugs and vaccines, BPOM must also be able to play a role in controlling the quality of medical devices.
"This means that the role of BPOM is very crucial in a pandemic. Besides of course the Ministry of Health should be the most important. Well, on several occasions this BPOM has shown its central role and integrity maintained, I admit and I appreciate. Including the problem of maintaining drugs and all kinds. This must be improved, "concluded Dicky.
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The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
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