Minister Of Health Asks For Hospitals To Innovate To Improve Services During The Pandemic

YOUR DOCUMENT CAN / Irfan Meidianto

JAKARTA - Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto asked hospital management to continue to innovate in improving health services during the COVID-19 pandemic by changing the work culture towards adapting to new habits.

"In facing the transition to adaptation to new habits, hospitals must be able to have a new culture by making changes to the service system so that they can keep up with developments during the COVID-19 pandemic," said the Minister of Health in an online activity quoted by Antara, Friday, October 30.

According to Terawan, demands for cultural change in hospitals are carried out by strict implementation of health protocols throughout the hospital environment. The health protocol includes the use of masks, maintaining physical distance, and providing a place to wash hands using soap. In addition, hospitals are also required to implement strict infection prevention and control.

Terawan said that currently the central government through the Ministry of Health and local governments through the governors in their respective provinces have appointed a number of hospitals that provide services for COVID-19 patients.

However, according to him, with the increase in cases of COVID-19, treatment for COVID-19 patients was also provided by government hospitals and other private hospitals. Therefore, each hospital is expected to have prepared health services for COVID-19 patients.

"The Ministry of Health continues to coordinate with local governments to carry out preparedness in preparing isolation room capacity," he said.

Terawan said that improving COVID-19 services in hospitals can be done by monitoring evaluations and follow-up plans for COVID-19 patients being served, as well as submitting reports to the provincial health office and the Ministry of Health by updating the Daily Online Hospital System.

Each hospital is also asked to provide an assessment and capacity planning for the hospital's logistical needs for the spike in COVID-19 cases, in coordination with the provincial health offices and district-city health offices if they are designated as special hospitals serving COVID-19 patients.

The Minister of Health hopes that the hospital will also increase cooperation with hospital networks serving COVID-19 to strengthen hospital service operations and management, as well as build collaboration with stakeholders in their region.

Terawan emphasized President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) direction in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, namely a decrease in the number of new cases, an increase in the cure rate, and a decrease in the death rate due to COVID-19.