Good News From Balikpapan, The Health Office Receives IDR 25 Billion To Fight COVID-19

Head of Balikpapan Health Office, dr Andi Sri Juliarty. (Novi Abdi / Antara)

JAKARTA - The Health Office of the City of Balikpapan, East Kalimantan received IDR 25 billion specifically for handling COVID-19 in the oil city.

As reported by Antara, Monday, March 15, according to the Head of the Balikpapan Health Office, Dr. Andi Sri Juliarty, the funds will be used to procure personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers such as masks, face shields, as well as for drugs such as vitamins for a year.

"Also for the honorarium of officers, including operational funds for officers and consumption of those undergoing isolation at the Batakan Hajj Dormitory", he said.

According to Juliarty, currently, funds for handling COVID-19 have become their own budget line, no longer the result of refocusing or re-budgeting by reducing or even eliminating funds for other budget lines.

Also, in 2020 health workers in Balikpapan will receive incentive assistance from the Ministry of Health which amounts to IDR 12 billion.

"This amount is divided among all health workers who handle COVID-19", explained Dr. Juliarty.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, March 14, there were an additional 64 new positive cases. They are detected from the results of the swab test and antigen rapid test.

"So starting this Sunday we will also enter the results of the rapid antigen test", said Dr. Juliarty.

Previously, all positive results came from a swab or PCR test. The new rapid test results are called reactive and non-reactive. Those who are reactive should proceed to the swab test. If the result is positive, then the person concerned is said to be confirmed positive.

In full, of the 64 positive cases, 29 cases with symptomatic history were hospitalized. As many as 8 cases were experienced by residents outside Balikpapan.

Then 26 cases with a history of expanded tracing in the community. According to the Head of Health Office, some of them were children and 9 were without symptoms.

The number of patients who have recovered is now far more than those who have just been confirmed positive. On Sunday, 87 people recovered or completed isolation, namely from Kanujoso Djatiwibowo Hospital 1 patient, Pertamina Hospital 5 patients, Dr. Hardjanto Army Hospital 13 patients, and completed independent isolation totaling 68 patients.

"No death cases were reported today", he said.

On the same occasion, Mayor Rizal Effendi added, the cumulative number of positive COVID-19 cases was 14,297. Currently, as many as 252 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital, then there are 756 independent isolation patients, 12,777 patients recovered and 512 people died.