COVID-19 Cases Soar, Referral Hospitals In Malang City Are Full

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JAKARTA - The Malang City Health Office stated that the occupancy rate of the referral hospital for handling COVID-19 in the Malang City area, East Java, was full.

Head of the Malang City Health Office, Dr. Husnul Muarif, said that the number of referral hospitals for handling COVID-19 was in line with the increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19, especially in the Malang City area.

"Yes, that's right. Almost all referral hospitals, including the Idjen Boulevard Field Hospital, are 100 percent full," said Husnul in Malang City, East Java, as reported by Antara, Friday, June 25.

Husnul explained that the Bed Occupancy Ratio (BOR) at the referral hospital for handling COVID-19 which was full, occurred in the isolation room handling confirmation patients, to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipped with a ventilator.

"For the isolation beds, all of them are almost full. If the isolation beds are full, then the possibility for the ICU room is also full," said Husnul.

Husnul added that the Malang City Government is currently making efforts to increase the capacity of referral hospitals for handling COVID-19. In addition, it also prepared other hospitals that were not previously a referral place for handling COVID-19.

According to Husnul, at the hospital, which so far is not a referral hospital for handling COVID-19, at least two beds will be prepared later, which will be used for isolation of confirmed patients.

"For hospitals that are not referrals, we will seek at least one, or two beds for isolation. This is to support and anticipate the surge in COVID-19 patients," said Husnul.

In addition, Husnul continued, additional capacity was also carried out at referral hospitals for handling COVID-19, such as the Saiful Anwar Regional General Hospital (RSUD), Hermina Hospital and Lavalette Hospital.

"The addition is in the form of an ICU room, as well as beds, and medical devices, as well as infrastructure, including medical personnel," said Husnul.

Husnul added that the isolation house or safe house on Jalan Kawi would also be optimized. The Malang City Government has proposed an extension of the use of safe houses at the Malang Education and Training Agency, owned by the East Java Provincial Government.

"In principle, the East Java Provincial Government has approved (the extension of use), we just need to coordinate," said Husnul.

Meanwhile, separately, Head of Public Relations of Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang, Donny Iryan, added that 15 rooms equipped with ventilators in the past week were always full.

"The average is 90-100 percent, because when it is empty, it is cleaned, and then filled again," said Donny.

Donny explained, for the inCOVID-19 room BOR at the Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang, for the period 1-11 June 2021, the occupancy rate was 30 percent. However, the BOR in COVID-19 continued to increase, reaching 78 percent on June 23, 2021.

In Malang City, there are 11 referral hospitals for handling COVID-19. Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang is one of the referral hospitals for handling COVID-19 which has been treating patients with moderate to severe symptoms.

Meanwhile, patients without symptoms, or experiencing mild to moderate symptoms, will be treated at other health care facilities, such as the Idjen Boulevard Field Hospital, or the Jalan Kawi safe house.

So far, Malang City has recorded a total of 6,953 positive confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of the total, 6,177 people were reported to have recovered, 654 were declared dead, and the rest were under treatment.