KSP Confirms That The Government Is Ready To Face Omicron's Spike

ILLUSTRA TION BY VOI

JAKARTA - The Main Expert of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Abraham Wirotomo emphasized that the government is ready to face a surge in cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

He stressed that currently the government has prepared 1,011 hospitals and 82,168 beds for COVID-19 patients.

"Health service readiness is carried out because it is estimated that there will be more foreign travelers entering Indonesia," Abraham said after monitoring the development of the condition of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 patient at the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital (RSPI), quoted by Antara, Sunday, January 2, 2022.

Abraham ensured that logistical readiness in the form of PPE and medicines was sufficient for the next three months.

Currently, said Abraham, a number of hospitals that are referrals for COVID-19 patients with the Omicron variant have begun to tighten restrictions for general patients. This is done in preparation for an Omicron wave.

"Like at RSPI, they will be able to convert beds for COVID-19 patients," said Abraham.

Meanwhile, as many as 24 patients with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 who are currently being treated at the Sulianti Saroso Hospital, their condition continues to improve, and none of them need intensive care.

Rosa Marliana, a pulmonary specialist at RSPI Sulianti Saroso, said that all Omicron patients are generally young and have no comorbidities.

Patients are detected to have Omicron not because of symptoms but because they want to travel long distances.

“I hope the government will not rush to relax the restrictions. Patients in the early days of the new variant tend to be less severe because the majority are young and actually healthy people, so they want to travel long distances. The situation becomes difficult when the transmission has spread to the elderly and comorbid groups,” said Rosa Marliana.