'Yellow Light', 70 Percent Of COVID-19 Referral Hospital Rooms In East Java Are Full

ILLUSTRA TION / VOI

SURABAYA - Head of the East Java Health Service (Dinkes), Herlin Ferliana, said the ICU room where the special treatment for COVID-19 patients in East Java was full. Until now, the bed occupancy rate (BOR) has reached 70 percent in 145 referral hospitals for COVID-19 patients in East Java.

"If the WHO's recommendation is ideally 50 percent. But if it reaches 70 percent, it means that the warning must add more beds to patients," Herlin said, confirmed, Tuesday, January 5.

Herlina was surprised that the BOR at 145 COVID-19 Reference Hospitals in East Java was almost full. In fact, he said, his party had added COVID-19 referral hospitals, from 127 referral hospitals to 145 referral hospitals by the end of December 2020.

"There are not two lung hospitals that have been converted into a special hospital for Covid-19 patients and the operation of an emergency field hospital in Malang," he explained.

The plan is to hold a meeting with the East Java Provincial Secretary to prepare a new location in Dungus, Madiun Regency, as the location for a special COVID-19 hospital.

"There is a vacant lot there that can be used for about 300 beds," he said.

According to Herlin, regardless of the capacity of hospital beds prepared by the government for Covid-19 patients, if it is not followed by community behavior that adheres to health protocols it will be useless.

"Therefore, we hope that the public will adhere to health protocols, keep their distance, wear masks, wash their hands and avoid crowds," he said.

The number of COVID-19 cases in East Java increased by 709 to 87,070 cases as of Monday, January 4, 2021. Of that number, 74,967 cases (86.10 percent) recovered, 6,038 (6.93 percent) were treated, and 6,065 cases (6.97 percent) ) die.

As many as eight regions have the status of the red zone or areas with a high risk of Covid-19 transmission, namely Tulungagung, Bojonegoro, Tuban, Malang City, Lumajang, Blitar City, Mojokerto, Madiun City.

Meanwhile, 30 other areas have the status of the orange zone or areas with moderate risk of Covid-19 transmission, namely the City of Surabaya, Kota Batu, Pacitan, Ponorogo, Trenggalek, Blitar, Malang, Kediri, Jember, Bondowoso, Situbondo, Probolinggo, Pasuruan, Sidoarjo, Kota. Mojokerto, and Jombang.

Furthermore Nganjuk, Madiun, Magetan, Ngawi, Lamongan, Gresik, Bangkalan, Sampang, Pamekasan, Sumenep, Kediri City, Probolinggo City, Pasuruan City, Banyuwangi.