Emergency, Soedono Madiun Hospital Lacks Health Workers for COVID-19 Patients

Health workers are treating COVID-19 patients in the ER area of RSUD dr Soedono, Madiun City, East Java, Tuesday, July 6 (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Regional General Hospital (RSUD) dr Soedono Madiun, East Java, currently lacks health workers to treat COVID-19 patients, following the large number of health workers exposed to the virus.

Acting Director of RSUD Dr. Soedono Madiun, Dr. Dwi Siwi Mardiati in Madiun, Wednesday said that up to now there are a total of 88 employees of RSUD Soedono who have been confirmed to have COVID-19 and must carry out self-isolation.

"A total of 88 employees were exposed, both for medical personnel, health workers, and administration," he said.

In detail, of the 88 employees, 44 are nurses and midwives, seven doctors, two analysts, and the rest are administrative staff.

This condition, he said, made the hospital owned by the East Java Provincial Government very busy in treating COVID-19 patients. In fact, he continued, if referring to the COVID-19 service standards, one nurse can handle a maximum of four patients.

"To overcome this shortage, we mobilize or operate health workers from other service units to treat COVID-19. This is to close the one-to-four standard," he said.

As a result of the operation, he said, there were other units that had to be closed or reduced in capacity, such as the infectious room, which currently only has two beds left because some of its officers were moved to handle COVID-19.

Regarding bed occupancy (BOR), he said, so far it was almost full because the number of COVID-19 patients being treated at the hospital continued to increase.

"For our ER BOR, it currently reaches 94 percent, while for the COVID-19 treatment room without aids it has reached 101 percent," he said.

Various efforts continue to be made by the management of Dr. Soedono Hospital in handling COVID-19. Dwi added that his party is currently trying to add more isolation places, one of which is by expanding the COVID-19 isolation room in the ER.

According to him, the ER room as a whole is still quite wide and allows for additional beds for patients. The hope is that COVID-19 patients who are currently undergoing treatment in the ER drop zone area can be accommodated.

"In addition, we are also preparing an inpatient room to be used as a treatment room for COVID-19 patients with a capacity of 20 beds. Actually, it is ready, but it has not been used because there is still minimal staff," he said.

In total, cases of COVID-19 in the Madiun City area as of Wednesday (7/7) reached 3,783 people. Of that number, 2,945 people have recovered, 600 are still under monitoring and 238 have died.

Additional new confirmed cases or an additional 85 people, 29 people recovered and three people died.