The Government Will Build A Special Infectious Disease Observation Hospital

Observation hospital illustration (pixabay)

JAKARTA - The government has begun to prepare itself by building a hospital (RS) specifically for handling patients suffering from infectious viral diseases. The long-term plan, will soon be discussed with the relevant ministries.

"If I'm not mistaken, Wednesday is the limit (the meeting is limited). To be sure, the government faces a situation like this very quickly and maybe on Tuesday we can meet," Chief Expert Staff of the Presidential Staff Office, Ali Mochtar Ngabalin, told reporters in Jakarta, Sunday, February 9.

This plan was carried out since the repatriation of 238 Indonesian citizens from the City of Wuhan, China due to the spread of the corona virus. It's just that, a number of Natuna Regency residents had refused to use the area where they lived to be used as a temporary observation location to detect the corona virus. They are worried about the transmission of the virus.

"If I'm not mistaken, Wednesday is the limit (the meeting is limited). To be sure, the government faces a situation like this very quickly and maybe on Tuesday we can meet," Chief Expert Staff of the Presidential Staff Office, Ali Mochtar Ngabalin, told reporters in Jakarta, Sunday, February 9.

According to him, President Joko Widodo's government has the responsibility to leave a legacy for the next government, namely hospitals for observation of infectious diseases. Because it is not impossible, in the future, the spread of the corona virus can occur again.

"The legacy (history) that must be left by President Jokowi is to prepare a special place to deal with this situation," he said.

However, when asked about the criteria, Ali did not answer further, considering that this would still be discussed in the next limited meeting.

Its location on one of the islands in Indonesia

Although it is not yet known where the government will build an infectious disease observation hospital. However, the government has indicated that the hospital will be built on an island in Indonesia.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD, Minister of Health (Menkes) Terawan Agus Putranto said there are about 100 islands that are candidate locations.

"There are about 100 islands, lots of them," said Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto after a coordination meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD, Friday, February 7.

Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

Terawan said, of the 100 islands, it will be studied in advance from various aspects. Later, after conducting a study, the government will select one of the hundreds of islands.

"All aspects are still being studied, geology, politics, then economic issues, defense maintenance, security. Everything is being reviewed," he explained, saying that the facilities to be built will not only be for corona virus patients but other infectious viruses.

"There are many (diseases). We also discussed how infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, TBM, malaria," he said.

Meanwhile, Menkopolhukam Mahfud MD emphasized that the coordination meeting held in his office had not yet decided on anything including the location.

But what is certain is that according to the President's orders, the draft for the hospital will be drafted even though there are actually three hospitals that handle infectious diseases even though they are not special hospitals.

According to him, there are several facilities that must be owned by the island which is a candidate location for the construction of a hospital for observation or quarantine for infectious diseases. "There are criteria to be near a military base for easy evacuation, near the airport. That's all the criteria," said Mahfud after the meeting.

"But many argue that actually there is no need to be on a separate island. Can be on a separate island, it can be on an island where there are already inhabitants, which means there are residents," he concluded.