BPBD TRC: 698 COVID-19 Patients In DIY Died During Isoman

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YOGYAKARTA The Rapid Response Team (TRC) of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of the Special Region of Yogyakarta noted that the number of COVID-19 patients who died while undergoing self-isolation (isoman) reached 698 people this month.

"Patients who died while isoman at home reached 698 people, while 1,983 people died in the hospital," said Deputy Commander of TRC BPBD DIY Indrayanto as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, July 28.

Indrayanto said the figure refers to the accumulated data on handling corpses with the COVID-19 protocol from the DIY COVID-19 Handling Operation Support Post since early July 2021.

Especially for data on COVID-19 patients who died during isomanism, according to him, an average of 30 to 40 reports per day.

"Reports from the community. Usually there are residents who are positive and then die and people don't dare touch them, then they report to us for evacuation and restoration," he said.

The number of isoman patients who died, he said, experienced a spike when compared to the data reported in June 2021. "June is still around 100 (died isoman). In June the numbers are still crawling towards an increase," he said.

To reduce the mortality rate of these isoman patients, he encouraged all residents who were confirmed positive for COVID-19 to undergo centralized isolation in shelters provided by the regional government.

He suspects the high mortality rate for isoman patients is due to minimal access to health services at home.

"We propose that all isoman patients enter the shelter to get proper health services. In the health care shelter, vitamin control, nutrition, food and activities that help patients psychologically can be well scheduled," he said.

In addition to preventing deaths, according to him, centralized isolation in shelters is an effective solution to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19.

"If isoman, who guarantees that the person doesn't wander off. Mr. RT can't also monitor 24 hours. Especially if someone who is positive is still opening a shop, positive is still going to the market. This is a problem," continued Indrayanto.

To reduce cases of death of COVID-19 patients while self-isolating at home, BPBD DIY is increasing the capacity of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force at the village level to RT/RW through mentoring.

According to the Head of Prevention for BPBD DIY, Danang Samsurizal, the mentoring program involves district/city BPBDs.

"Hopefully we can speed up treatment upstream, lest we treat patients who are already in a deteriorating condition when they are about to be referred to the hospital," said Danang.

According to him, through this strengthening, it is hoped that the task force personnel at the village level to RT/RW will be able to handle and collect data early on residents who are confirmed positive, including encouraging them to isolate them centrally in shelters provided by the regional government.

"For those who are positive, awareness must be built for isolation in the shelter," said Danang.