RSUP Dr Sardjito Opens Voice, Denies Dozens Of Patients Died Due To Running Out Of Oxygen

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JAKARTA - Management of the Central General Hospital (RSUP) Dr Sardjito Yogyakarta confirmed that none of the patients being treated at the hospital died because they could not be helped because the oxygen supply ran out.

President Director of RSUP Dr. Sardjito Yogyakarta dr. Rukmono Siswishanto explained that when the central liquid oxygen ran out, patients who needed oxygen assistance at Dr Sardjito Hospital were still supplied with oxygen cylinders.

"So it is not true that (a patient) died without receiving oxygen, but the process of dying was due to his deteriorating clinical condition," he said in a written statement in Yogyakarta, as reported by Antara, Sunday, July 4.

Rukmono admitted that an accumulation of 36 patients died from Saturday, July 3 morning to Sunday July 4 morning, while 33 patients died after the central oxygen ran out at 20.00 WIB at the hospital.

"The number of patients is not just COVID patients who need oxygen assistance, but there are other patients as well," he said.

Rukmono said that the central oxygen supply at Dr. Sardjito Yogyakarta began to experience a decline on Saturday, July 3 starting at 16.00 WIB until it ran out of oxygen supply which was estimated at 18.00 WIB. But in reality, the central oxygen ran out at around 20.00 WIB.

Under these conditions, after the central liquid oxygen was depleted, patient care switched to using oxygen cylinders or available oxygen reserves, including obtaining loans from the UGM Academic Hospital and the UGM General Hospital/FKG as well as the Yogyakarta Regional Police.

"At 00.15 WIB, the DIY Police assistance of 100 tubes (oxygen) came and was immediately distributed to treatment wards while waiting for the arrival of supplies from oxygen providers," he said.

Regarding the scarcity of oxygen, according to Rukmono, his party had made anticipatory efforts in advance. One of them is coordinating with oxygen suppliers including PT. Samator and PT. Surya Gas to get a regular supply of oxygen to meet the needs and additionally in case of patient escalation.

"That on Saturday, July 3 morning, when oxygen began to run low, various coordination and preparations had been carried out, including follow-up meetings to ensure adequate oxygen supplies with providers," he said.

He did not deny that at that time the need for oxygen and the number of patients at Dr Sardjito Hospital was increasing. As a result, supplies are running low for both central oxygen in the form of Liquid and oxygen cylinders.

"That due to this situation, coupled with the simultaneous entry of patients on Friday, July 2, 2021, the need for oxygen is increasing, causing the supply of oxygen to increase.

dwindling," he said.

With this situation, he continued, RSUP Dr. Sardjito has reorganized all the use of oxygen used by patients, and sent a letter of request for support to the Indonesian Minister of Health, Director General of Health Services, Governor, BPBD, Health Service, Persi and the Supervisory Board.

The letter essentially reported that the Director of RSUP Dr. Sardjito Yogyakarta has coordinated with various parties to get oxygen supplies from providers and other places, but until 15.00 WIB, the hospital is still experiencing problems.

"And the oxygen supply is estimated to reach Dr. Sardjito Hospital Yogyakarta at the earliest on Sunday, July 4, 2021 at 12.00 WIB," he said.

He said that on Sunday, July 4, at 03.40 WIB, the first liquid oxygen truck had entered and filled the main tube, so that currently the central oxygen at Dr Sardjito Hospital is functioning again. Followed by a second truck at 04.45 WIB, which also filled the central oxygen tube.

"With the arrival of this filling, the service has temporarily returned to using central oxygen, we hope that in the future this oxygen will continue to be supplied smoothly by oxygen providers to fulfill care for patients who need oxygen," he said.