Terawan Who Should Have Learned From The Singapore Minister Of Health

Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto is in the spotlight after information that two Indonesian citizens who have contracted the corona virus or COVID-19 in Indonesia are now isolated at RSPI Sulianti Saroso, Jakarta.

This spotlight on Terawan is negative. This is because Terawan's communication style is considered not serious by several parties, one of which is the question of 'corona patients can play on cell phones'.

According to the Executive Director of the Indonesia Political Opinion (IPO) Dedi Kurnia Syah, Terawan is not carrying out his function as a public official, or to be precise, the Indonesian Minister of Health. The reason is, with such statements, he is considered to have obscured information about the existence of people affected by the COVID-19 virus.

"Terawan does not carry out his own function as a public official, especially as Minister of Health, because it is proven inaccurate in providing information, and even tends to obscure information on the existence of affected people," said Dedi when we contacted him via text message, Monday, March 2.

Terawan's way of dealing with the COVID-19 virus also looks different from Singapore's Health Minister Gan Kim Yong. In an upload on YouTube belonging to MothershipSG, Gan Kim Yong explained various ways to avoid transmission of the virus, such as by washing hands regularly using soap and water, not touching the face. In addition, he also explained in detail about the spread of the COVID-19 virus to its citizens.

Seeing Gan Kim Yong's style in this video is much different from Terawan's. From the 5-minute video upload, there was no statement from Gan Kim Yong that said prayer could prevent residents from the virus.

In contrast to Terawan, he even called on residents to keep praying to be protected from this virus. He even made this remark again when he finished visiting RSPI Sulianto Saroso on Monday, March 2.

"Fighting together, we fight the corona (virus) by praying. We rely on the Almighty, but we continue to strive according to our respective fields," said Terawan.

Returning to the question of how Terawan informed about the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Indonesia, according to Dedi, now was not the time to learn to handle it, because it was too late.

According to him, now the Minister of Health and other policy holders must rack their brains so that the spread of this virus can be controlled and not cause trauma in the community.

"Today's condition, there is no other choice, except that the government immediately strives to protect people who have not been affected, especially protecting the environment of the affected community so that they do not experience trauma, even discrediting people who are close to patients," he said.

One-stop information, said Dedi, also needs to be done after two people have contracted the COVID-19 virus in Indonesia. This is important to do so that no authority can talk to each other in the public and cause disinformation.

Reflecting on today alone, after President Joko Widodo announced that two people were exposed to the virus, Depok Mayor Mohammad Idris and DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan immediately held a press conference, not to mention a number of related ministries and DPR members who contributed their votes.

So, Dedi said, the Ministry of Health through the Minister of Health should be the door where official information is conveyed to the public so that confusion does not occur in the community and creates panic.

"This kind of sensitive information must have a major authority, the Minister of Health. Meanwhile, others only redistribute it," he said.

Because, it is not impossible that this condition will be used by certain groups to garner sympathy. So, all reliable information should be done through Terawan as the head of the Ministry of Health.

If indeed Terawan is deemed not very capable of speaking in public, appointing a spokesperson to convey information related to COVID-19 needs to be implemented. So, all information can be conveyed properly.

Because in this condition the relevant authorities are expected not to cover anything up from the public. "Hoping that people do not panic is good but not being open will be very bad," said Dedi.

Previously reported, two Indonesian citizens were declared infected with the COVID-19 virus after making contact with a Japanese national. This finding is the first case in Indonesian territory, where the government has so far admitted that there has been no spread of the virus.

The announcement of the existence of residents infected with the virus originating from the City of Wuhan, China was delivered directly by President Joko Widodo.

"Last week there was information that a Japanese person who went to Indonesia then stayed in Malaysia and checked there was positive for the corona. The team from Indonesia immediately traced this Japanese person to Indonesia to whom he visited, met whom he traced and met," he said. Jokowi at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Monday, March 2.

After it was found, from the search results there were two people who then tested positive for the COVID-19 virus due to contact with the Japanese citizen. The relationship between the two is mother and child aged 64 years and 31 years.

"It was checked and this morning I received a report from the Minister of Health that this mother and her daughter were positive for corona," said Jokowi.

The two corona positive patients are in pretty good condition, even though they still have coughs. They are in an isolation room, which is a separate building from the main building of RSPI Sulianti Suroso.

The treatment carried out for the two patients was carried out like treating someone with the flu. This virus is considered a self limited disease. So that for healing it is necessary to increase the body's immunity.