DKI Provincial Government Prepares Mpox Case Services In All Districts

Illustration of the City Hall of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government. (Diah-VOI)

Head of the DKI Jakarta Health Service (Dinkes) Ani Ruspitawati said that her party has prepared Monkeypox symptomatic patient services (Mpox) at health centers and hospitals in all sub-districts in Jakarta.

"All of our health facilities are ready. Puskes friends are also very ready, God willing, health center health workers are very trained to recognize their symptoms early on, and hospitals are ready to provide services and isolation," said Ani at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Monday, September 2.

In handling it, health facilities (faskes) will conduct an examination based on symptoms. If confirmed Mpox and further treatment is needed, Ani said the patient would be advised to be isolated in the hospital.

"If it's not severe, self-isolation can be done. But if you want to isolate yourself in the hospital, we are ready according to the condition of the patient," said Ani.

Since the first findings in October 2023 until now, the DKI Health Office has recorded 59 cases of Mpox reported in Jakarta. Meanwhile, specifically in 2024, there were 11 Mpox cases in Jakarta.

The cases were found in Ciracas, Grogol Petamburan, Jatinegara, Kebon Jeruk, Matraman, Pasar Minggu, Tanah Abang and Tanjung Priok. All cases are aged 21 to 50 years.

"There are 9 people (citizens) DKI and 2 from outside DKI, and 11 of them have all recovered. From February to now, no one has tested positive, indeed there are several suspects who enter and enter the hospital in isolation and check, finally it is confirmed not Mpox," explained Ani.

Currently, as many as 430 people in Jakarta have received the second dose of Monkeypox (Mpox) vaccine. Meanwhile, since the Mpox vaccination program was implemented in 2023, 495 people have been vaccinated against the first dose of a key population or high risk group.

"There are still 42 vials of vaccine that will be used as needed," said Ani.

Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin previously conveyed the government's plan to bring in 1,600 additional doses of vaccine in an effort to deal with the Mpox outbreak.

"Of the 1,000 doses of vaccine we have received, there are currently only 40 doses left. We are waiting for the arrival of 1,600 additional doses of vaccine which are expected to arrive this week," Budi said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta, Tuesday, August 27.

The additional vaccine will increase the number of Mpox vaccines previously available in Indonesia by 1,000 doses. Budi explained that each dose of the Mpox vaccine requires a relatively expensive budget, around Rp. 3.5 million.

The clinical picture that can be found in Mpox patients in the 2022 and 2023 outbreaks is fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, body fatigue (fatigue) accompanied by rashes or lesions in the form of lenting or small white bubbles with a dark central part.