Muhammadiyah Prepares Scenario To Anticipate COVID-19 Explosion, 1,800 Beds Are Prepared

Ministry of Health and Human Resources employees undergo a rapid antigen test at the office after the Eid al-Fitr holiday 1442 Hijri (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Muhammadiyah COVID-19 Command Center prepares various scenarios in anticipation of the worst possibilities, such as the explosion of COVID-19 cases, after Lebaran."

We're prepared to accept a spike if it happens and we hope it's right, it doesn't happen. But we better prepare ourselves for the worst possible, than we are not ready for anything," said Chairman of Muhammadiyah COVID-19 Command Center (MCCC) Agus Samsudin in a webinar monitored from Jakarta, Monday.

Concerns of a spike in cases arose after there were residents who still escaped homecoming, although the number is not as many as normal conditions. Then the mobility of citizens when traveling without health protocols and the flow of foreign arrivals in the midst of strict restrictions for Indonesian citizens.

In addition to the potential increase in cases of COVID-19 after Eid al-Fitr 1442 H, he said, Indonesia is also faced with the threat of the emergence of VARIANTS of COVID-19 coming from various countries. The new variant is B.117 from England, then B.1351 from South Africa, and dual mutation variant from India B.1617.

According to Agus, 64 hospitals among 86 Muhammadiyah hospitals involved in handling COVID-19 have been prepared for the worst possibility. They have prepared at least 1,800 beds, including ICU, ventilators, and standard equipment for handling COVID-19 patients.

"In addition, we also have isolation rooms in several places, in Unisa, PP 'Aisyiyah, Zaitun, Unires UMY, Pusdiklat Jakarta, and Shelter Gose PKU Bantul," he said.

Data on May 16, 2021, reported that 86 Muhammadiyah hospitals have treated 3,774 on-monitoring persons (ODP), 3,366 on-monitoring patients (PDP), 2,684 probable patients, 13,914 suspect patients, and 17,820 positive patients.

According to him, education and prevention programs are also consistently carried out by MCCC during these 14 months. A total of 68,000 vaccinations have been carried out by Muhammadiyah and the plan will be expanded to eastern Indonesia, such as Ternate to Makassar.

"Muhammadiyah as an organization that has a commitment to the handling of COVID-19 will continue to make efforts that can help all of us, both the government and the community, to get out of the COVID-19 pandemic immediately," he said.