Bobby Nasution Prepares Former Deli Tobacco Hospital To Be Isolation Place For COVID-19 Patients

Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution (ANTARA)

MEDAN - The Medan City Government, North Sumatra, has prepared the building of the former Deli Tobacco Hospital to be used as a place to isolate COVID-19 patients. This preparation is in anticipation of a spike in COVID-19 cases in Medan.

"One option is the Deli Tobacco Hospital belonging to PTPN II (PT Perkebunan Nusantara) to anticipate the surge in COVID-19 in Medan City. Of the 3Ts (testing, tracing, treatment), one of them is treatment", said Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution while reviewing the location of Deli Tobacco Hospital, quoted by Antara, Saturday, July 17.

The Deli Tobacco Hospital belonging to PTPN II is located on Putri Hijau Street, Medan. This Hospital was the first modern hospital on the island of Sumatra during the Dutch East Indies era.

This hospital was built in 1885, in line with the development of Medan City as a center for the plantation industry.

Bobby Nasution explained that later the building of the former Deli Tobacco Hospital would not only be used for isolation, but also as an emergency hospital for handling COVID-19 patients with mild to severe conditions.

"If later it is allowed by the Ministry of SOEs and we will also coordinate with the central government, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) and the Ministry of Health, to jointly collaborate to build an emergency hospital. Of course, we have to ask for permission for the options that we see", he said.

According to Bobby Nasution, the COVID-19 condition in Medan City is still under control. It was assessed based on the bed occupancy rate or hospital BOR of around 63 percent.

"If you look at the rules, we must provide at least 30 percent. Currently, our referral hospital is still 41, meaning that currently, we are still at 24 to 26 percent of the average hospital", he said.

Bobby Nasution said his party had also issued a circular to all hospitals in the city of Medan to provide beds for COVID-19 patients at least 30 percent of the total capacity.

"Actually, if you want to force it with the existing hospital, it is still possible, namely from a total of 8,000 beds, 30 percent are for COVID-19 patients. However, we only have 2,000 beds", he said.

Mayor Bobby Nasution inspects the former building of Deli Tobacco Hospital accompanied by Special Staff to the Minister of SOEs Arya Sinulingga and PTPN II President Director, Irwan Warinangin.