What Patients Obtain During Isolation Of COVID-19 In Hotels

Illustrations (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI) of DKI Jakarta, Krisnandi, revealed that the government plans to add one hotel to isolate COVID-19 patients with the category of people without symptoms (OTG).

This isolation provision is a program of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) supported by the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes). OTG cases isolated in hotels under this program are free of charge.

In Jakarta, there have been two hotels used for isolation, namely the Ibis Style Mangga Dua, North Jakarta which can accommodate 212 patients, and U Stay Mangga Besar, West Jakarta which can accommodate 140 patients.

"The plan is to add one more hotel in Central Jakarta. When it is determined, it will be announced," Krisnandi told VOI, Thursday, October 1.

How and what will the patient get during isolation? Initially, the patient received a referral from the puskesmas for isolation. Then, hotel employees prepare the room as isolation.

Every day, there are health workers who check the patient's condition, see the history of the disease, and prepare vitamins for the OTG patient.

"For the provision of drugs or vitamins, the health office determines. Each patient has different needs. For food, we provide it," said Krisnandi.

For daily food, hotel management accepts nutritious menu categories according to the direction of the health office. When the food is ready, the hotel staff will deliver the food to each patient's room.

"When delivering food or vitamins, our employees only drop it to the front of the room. Because, we don't have any contact with guests at all," he said.

"But, if employees are forced to enter the room to take care of something, they wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hazmat suits," he continued.

If at any time the condition of one of the OTG patients weakens, the health office officer on standby at the hotel will check the patient's condition and decide to transfer the patient to the hospital. In each hotel, there is an ambulance on standby to escort patients if they need treatment.

"So, it is the health workers who decide what to do with the patient. Right, they are the ones who check the patient's condition. If he has to be treated in the hospital, it is the health worker who determines. Then, when the isolation is complete, the health worker will make a certificate if he can go home, "he explained.