Minister Of Health Budi Converts 3 Government Hospitals In Jakarta Into Fully Treatment Places For COVID-19 Patients, Here's The List

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has set three large government-owned hospitals to convert all of their treatment beds to special treatment for COVID-19 patients.

"We convert three major government hospitals, namely Fatmawati Hospital, Sulianti Saroso Hospital, and Persahabatan Hospital to become 100 percent hospitals that handle COVID-19 patients", Budi said in a virtual press conference, Friday, June 25.

Thus, there are hundreds of new beds complete with equipment, doctors, and experienced nurses to be able to serve sick COVID-19 patients in DKI Jakarta.

"It is hoped that this week the conversion can be completed, so that it can increase the number of beds to serve the people of Jakarta which are already complete, directly with facilities and health workers", he said.

Based on data held by the Ministry of Health as of June 24. There are 94.420 beds specifically for COVID-19 patients, both isolation beds and ICU beds.

On average, the national bed occupancy rate is 67 to 70 percent. However, there are several provinces with bed occupancy above 80 percent.

The provinces with the lowest bed capacity are DKI Jakarta with 90 percent of beds, West Java 88 percent, Banten 87 percent, Central Java 85 percent, DI Yogyakarta 85 percent.

Due to the diminishing capacity of beds, people who have tested positive for COVID-19 are asked not to rush and panic to go to the hospital for treatment.

Those who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms are asked to self-isolate at home amid increasing hospital occupancy rates.

This was conveyed by the Director of Medical, Nursing, and Supporting Services at Fatmawati Hospital Loli Simanjuntak in a separate press conference.

"There is COVID without symptoms and with symptoms. If they have positive PCR or the antigen swab is positive but does not show symptoms, they shall stay at home. Then secondly, there are symptoms of COVID but symptoms are mild", said Loli

Meanwhile, for people who are tested positive for COVID-19 but have comorbid diseases with decreased oxygen saturation, they are required to undergo treatment in a hospital. Likewise, for those who have severe symptoms.

"It means high breathing, breathing above 24, saturation below 95, pneumonia accompanied by comorbidities. In terms of age, it is also under 60 years old or above 60 years old", he said.

"There are indeed criteria for patients to be treated. But if the symptoms are mild, we don't treat them and we hope to go to Wisma Atlet (Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital Kemayoran, Jakarta) or those without symptoms can self-isolate", added Loli.