To Anticipate The Surge In COVID-19 Patients, East Java Health Office Instructs Referral Hospitals To Add Beds

ILLUSTRA TION / VOI

SURABAYA - The East Java Provincial Health Office (Dinkes) has instructed all COVID-19 referral hospitals to increase bed capacity. This instruction was issued following an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients in East Java in the last two weeks.

"The addition of cases in the last two weeks is extraordinary. I don't remember the number of details, but as far as I remember the average bed used in the hospital is now almost 70 percent," said the head of the East Java Health Office, Herlin Ferliana, confirmed, Friday, December 11. .

Based on data from the East Java COVID-19 Task Force, there were an additional 796 positive cases of COVID-19 in East Java as of Thursday, December 10, 2020. The day before, Wednesday, December 9, there were an additional 718 new cases.

"We have gathered all the Health Office Keoala in East Java, and the President Director of the COVID-19 referral hospital. This first step, we ask them to increase the availability of beds in each referral hospital," he said.

The second step, said Herlin, is that the East Java Provincial Government is preparing a COVID-19 emergency hospital in Malang Raya. This is to overcome the spread of Covid-19 patients both in Malang Raya and in the surrounding areas.

"The governor has asked for the preparation of RSDL at the Malang Health Polytechnic (Polkesma). InsyaAllah, this week it will be able to accommodate Covid-19 patients. The capacity is 300 but for the initial 100 beds," he said.

Herlin ensures that the intensive space and the availability of equipment, such as ventilators and other supporting equipment at the referral hospital are sufficiently controlled. For example in Dr. Soetomi Hospital in Surabaya and RSUD Syaiful Anwar Malang.

"But if there is no handling and further steps, the intensive space can be full. So it is necessary to even add more beds," said Herlin.