PPKM Continues To Be Extended, IDI Reminds The Government Of The Most Important COVID-19 Handling In Upstream

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JAKARTA - Chairman of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB IDI) Daeng M. Faqih responded to the implementation of PPKM which continues to be extended every week in Java-Bali and two weeks outside Java-Bali.

Daeng emphasized that the most important mechanism in dealing with the pandemic in Indonesia is in the upstream sector or prevention. This sector includes efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

"The upstream or prevention sector is very important in handling this pandemic. Upstream handling is very important because upstream is the source of all downstream problems," said Daeng in a virtual discussion, Wednesday, August 18.

Daeng said, handling upstream is important. Because, if the handling upstream cannot be controlled, then the problems downstream will continue to flow. For example, COVID-19 treatment beds will be full and will disrupt other sectors outside of health.

"If the upstream is not dammed, then the downstream problems will continue to flow and this ultimately disrupts the entire order of life, social, economic, and others," said Daeng.

Daeng then explained the three principles of handling COVID-19 in the upstream sector. First, restrictions on mobility that must continue to be carried out during the pandemic. Daeng considers that mobility restrictions are very effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19. The second principle is the speed and breadth of testing and tracing. "If the tracing is faster, it will be easier for us to catch people in the field who can cause illness, we isolate them. So, the potential for transmission in the field does not occur," he said.

The third principle is behavior change from normal times to compliance with the implementation of 3M health protocols. Daeng views that public health protocol compliance is still not consistently implemented.

"This is related to cultural beliefs. If 3M's behavior change movement is still as it is now, maybe it's a bit difficult for us to change the situation upstream," Daeng explained.