Government Will Prepare Central Isolation Places, Minister Of Health: Fulfillment Of Food Is Done Together

ILLUSTRATION/WEST ATHLETES

JAKARTA - The central government asked the regional government to prepare a centralized isolation place to accommodate COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms. The reason is that many hospitals lack beds for positive patients.

This was conveyed by the Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin after holding a limited meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and a number of related stakeholders.

"He (President Jokowi, ed) also gave directions that centralized isolation must be spread as much as possible to these areas, both sub-districts and urban villages so as to ease the burden on large centralized isolation such as Wisma Athletes," Budi said at a press conference held aired on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube account, Monday, June 21.

Furthermore, to fulfill the food needs of COVID-19 patients in centralized isolation areas, Jokowi ordered the use of the mechanism of gotong royong from the community. Thus, food needs for patients can still be met.

Later, the system for meeting food needs will be monitored by TNI and Polri officers who have been ordered to help deal with the surge in COVID-19 cases.

"He also said that it was certain that the isolated people for two weeks would be sufficient by dropping food, preferably using the mutual cooperation mechanism from the surrounding community. This will be monitored by the TNI and Polri," said the former Deputy Minister of SOEs.

Minister of Health Budi reminded COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms should carry out self-isolation at home or in a centralized isolation place. Meanwhile, patients with severe symptoms and comorbidities are then taken to the hospital.

The goal is for hospitals to work to treat people with moderate and serious conditions. In addition, it also aims to prevent patients with mild conditions from being exposed to other viruses that aggravate their condition.

"We will ensure that the coordination of referrals to all hospitals will be arranged so that to a minimum, people cannot find rooms. We will arrange that later," he concluded.