Ridwan Kamil Urges Local Governments To Prepare Hotels For Isolation Places, Subsidized Costs From The Provincial Government

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil after visiting the Bayu Asih Regional General Hospital, Purwakarta Regency, Thursday, June 24 (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Governor of West Java (Jabar) Ridwan Kamil encouraged local governments, especially districts and cities to prepare hotels for the isolation of COVID-19 patients who will recover after receiving treatment at the hospital.

This is done to reduce the hospital occupancy rate so that COVID-19 patients with severe to critical symptoms can receive treatment and care at a referral hospital.

"We will encourage regions to immediately use hotels. Later the cost can be subsidized by the provincial government. I hope this hotel can be used as a place to isolate patients from hospitals who want to recover," he said while visiting the Bayu Asih Hospital, Purwakarta Regency, reported by Antara, Thursday, June 24.

"Because there are cases where there are people who died because they could not enter the full hospital. Because the hospital was full of those who were medically willing to recover," he said.

Kang Emil - Ridwan Kamil's nickname - said that his party continues to strengthen the management of handling COVID-19 patients. The goal is that all COVID-19 patients can be handled properly, especially those with severe to critical symptoms.

"Now we change the management. We ask Purwakarta Regency, the Regent is here, to immediately look for it even though there are already additional hotels. So that later the Director of the RSUD can shift those who want to recover to a transitional place to recover," he said.

In addition to preparing hotels as places of isolation, Kang Emil asked villages/regencies in West Java to provide isolation rooms for COVID-19 patients either without symptoms or moderate symptoms.

"There is still resistance from villagers who choose self-isolation. There is no problem with self-isolation, but not all houses are adequate. Don't let it be forcing self-isolation, but the house is too close and there is no special room, then the whole house will be affected," he said.

The strengthening of isolation rooms, said Kang Emil, must be accompanied by community discipline in applying the 5M health protocol (prokes). Therefore, he asked the village head in West Java to intensively educate and socialize the health protocol to the community.

"Education from the village head, from regional leaders, continues to be carried out so that upstream village isolation rooms are used. The heavy and very heavy ones just go to the hospital. After getting better, they are shifted to a hotel or a place so that we can reduce hospital occupancy," he said.

Based on United Against COVID-19 data, https://data.covid19.go.id, on June 20, 2021, the occupancy rate of the COVID-19 referral hospital in West Java reached 86.03 percent. In addition, there are a number of areas where the hospital occupancy rate is more than 90 percent.

Based on Pikobar data as of June 20, 2021, the five districts/cities with the highest hospital occupancy rates, namely Majalengka Regency (95.51 percent), Bandung Regency (92.66 percent), Purwakarta Regency (92.58 percent), Karawang Regency (91.29 percent), and Cimahi City (88.43 percent).

"Hopefully this concept can reduce the hospital occupancy rate to 70 percent," said Kang Emil.

Hospital Review

In addition to the Bayu Asih Regional Hospital, Kang Emil also visited the hospitals and isolation rooms for COVID-19 patients in Karawang and Purwakarta. The first visit was made to the Karawang Regional Hospital accompanied by the Regent of Karawang Cellica Nurrachadiana and Acting President Director of the Karawang Hospital Fitra Hergyana.

The total bed capacity in Karawang Hospital is 412 beds. Of this amount, 151 beds are used for COVID-19 patients or about 40 percent of the total bed capacity.

Apart from going to the Karawang Hospital, Kang Emil also visited Perum Bumi Cikampek Baru Balonggandu, Jatisari, Karawang, West Java. There is a self-isolation place available for COVID-19 patients.

After that, Kang Emil went straight to the Grand Pangestu Hotel in Cikampek, Karawang. This hotel is one of the places for the isolation of COVID-19 patients, both with symptoms and without symptoms.

The total available rooms at the hotel are around 84 rooms and are currently fully occupied. Each room can accommodate up to two COVID-19 patients. After finishing, Kang Emil went straight to the Bayu Asih Hospital in Purwakarta Regency.