TNI Commander Encourages COVID-19 Patients Undergoing Isoter At Al Ihsan Hospital, Bandung

TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto has a virtual dialogue with Central Isolation (Isoter) patients (Photo: ANTARA/HO-Puspen TNI)

JAKARTA - TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto reviewed the implementation of centralized isolation (isoter) while encouraging COVID-19 patients who were undergoing isolation at the Al Ihsan Hospital and the Jalak Harupat Athlete's Wisma, Bandung, West Java.

In his review, the TNI Commander was accompanied by the Head of BNPB Lt. Gen. Ganip Warsito and the Kabaharkam Polri Komjen Arief Sulistyanto, as well as Pangkogabwilhan II Marsdya TNI Imran Baidirus.

The group started the visit at the isoter of the Al-Ihsan Hospital and was greeted by the Regent of Bandung Regency, Dadang Supriatna and the Director of the Al-Ihsan Hospital, dr. Goddess Basmallah.

The Commander took the time to greet isoter patients at Al Ihsan Hospital in Bandung, and provide encouragement for a speedy recovery. Isoter patients consist of doctors and the general public.

Doctor Tia, one of the doctors who became an isoter patient at the Al Ihsan Hospital in Bandung, had the opportunity to have a virtual dialogue with the TNI Commander.

"Hopefully the doctor's experience can increase enthusiasm for other patients to be strong in facing the trials that the doctor has faced," said the Commander in Chief as quoted by Antara, Saturday, July 24.

To isoter patients, the Commander said that his working visit in West Java was to directly review the implementation of Isoter in two locations in the Bandung area and to encourage doctors and other patients who were undergoing Isoter.

"I also pray for the doctor to get well soon and come out soon to be able to return to work because the community really needs health workers," said the Commander.

The TNI Commander explained that currently the government has made a policy to build several isoter locations and equipped with medical equipment.

Later, Hadi continued, health workers from the TNI and Polri will be deployed at Isoter's premises and will also carry out digital tracing and field tracers in each sub-district, named Silacak.

"Hopefully, with the Silacak application, our tracing activities can be high, so that the positive rate can go down, currently it's still 20 to 25 percent and we hope it can be at 5 percent," he explained.

After reviewing the isoter at the Al Ihsan Hospital, the TNI Commander and his entourage moved to the second isoter location at the Wisma Atlet Jalak Harupat.

At this location, the TNI Commander spoke to the media that currently active cases in Indonesia are still quite high, therefore all components must work together seriously to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There are valuable lessons during Lebaran this year, two weeks after Eid, active cases spiked," he said.

According to him, the TNI and Polri together with the government are making efforts to suppress active cases of COVID-19.

"There are several things that must be done in dealing with the surge in COVID-19 cases, namely carrying out contact tracing, vaccination and finally distributing drugs," said the TNI Commander.

The TNI commander said that the TNI-Polri were given the task of preparing Isoter in several locations, one of which was in the West Java region.

Isoters are intended for asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients to focus more on healing and avoid contact with others.

"Today I carried out a direct check of the isoter location in the Bandung area and Alhamdulillah, everything went well as expected. I have also seen that the number of ICU rooms has been increased," he explained.

The Commander added that the presence of Isoter in each region can help COVID-19 patients undergo nursing until they recover.

"With isoter locations in each region, we can help COVID-19 patients. Later, the TNI-Polri will help carry out vaccination and tracing continuously and massively, so that we can reduce the number of positive cases to the lowest level," said the Commander.