Monkeypox Found In Singapore, Batam City Government Prepares 2 Referral Hospitals For Handling

Meeting to raise awareness of monkeypox in Batam City (ANTARA)

BATAM - The Batam City Government, Riau Islands, has prepared two referral hospitals to handle cases of monkeypox in the local area.

Head of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) Batam City Health Office, Melda Sari said, currently the Batam City Government is planning anticipatory steps that can be taken.

The two steps are issuing circulars regarding the anticipation of monkeypox and preparing two referral hospitals to handle cases of monkeypox and forming a special team that will report the progress of the case.

"The Batam City Government chose the Batam Business Administration Hospital (RSBP) and the Embung Fatimah Regional General Hospital (RSUD) for referrals. Of course, we hope that this virus will not enter Batam. It's just because in a neighboring country, Singapore, it has been found, and Batam is the entrance, it is necessary to take precautions," he said in Batam, Wednesday,

Furthermore, Melda conveyed that with the outbreak of this case, hospitals and health centers were asked to actively detect early signs of monkeypox in patients.

He said that on July 27, 2022, Elizabeth Batam City Hospital reported one case with characteristics resembling monkeypox.

The Batam City Health Office immediately checked into the field to immediately take samples and check the patient's close contact.

"There were eight close contacts who were examined. The officer also asked the patient's travel history, and it turned out that he had not traveled abroad. Alhamdulillah, the results of the samples just came out this afternoon, and the results were negative," said Melda.

Meanwhile, Head of Batam Class I Environmental Health and Disease Control Engineering Center (BTKLPP), Budi Santosa, said that currently his party is still waiting for assistance in the form of a "reagent" tool that can detect the monkeypox virus from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes).

"We hope and encourage the center to hasten the aid of this tool. However, BTKLPP is actually ready. Because later if there are samples, we will definitely send them to the center. As is known, we are on alert for monkeypox," he said.

He conveyed that BTKLPP would facilitate the examination of samples such as the case that occurred in the Elizabeth Batam City Hospital patient a few days ago.

Budi said the samples were sent directly to the center for inspection. "Grateful that the results are negative. The patient is not monkeypox," said Budi.