NTB Prepares 4,000 Beds To Anticipate Omicron Surge

MATARAM - The West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government has prepared bed facilities for up to 4,000 units to anticipate the surge in cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

The head of the NTB Health Service, Lalu Hamzi Fikri, said that his party had asked all hospitals to prepare additional beds in anticipation of the increase in cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

"Currently, we have 1,500 beds available. However, due to the increasing number of cases, our bed capacity needs to be increased to 2,000, even up to 4,000. God willing, all of our hospitals are ready for that," he said during the Coordination Meeting on the Development of COVID-19 in The NTB Governor's office in Mataram was reported by Antara, Tuesday, February 15.

Cases of COVID-19 in the past week throughout the NTB region continued to rise. However, not until there are patients treated in the ICU.

"There is an increase in daily cases. Most are due to comorbidities and have not been vaccinated," said the former Director of the NTB Provincial Hospital.

Despite the increase in cases, he continued, our room occupancy rate (BOR) is still sufficient. However, we still need to anticipate by increasing the number of beds, considering the spread rate of Omicron is faster than the Delta variant," he continued.

For people who have confirmed the Omicron variant, but have mild symptoms, he said, his party requested that they be isolated in their respective homes with adequate supervision and medication.

This is because hospitalization is only for patients with severe symptoms, such as fever, flu, cough, low saturation and comorbidities. This out-of-hospital treatment will have a positive impact on BOR. "We will try to treat the hospital with severe symptoms, comorbidities and low saturation, apart from that, just stay at home with vitamins, medication and supervision," he said.

However, to prevent the COVID-19 explosion, efforts to accelerate vaccination must continue to be increased, especially since NTB will host MotoGP in March.

In addition, the public must also improve health protocols, avoid crowds, maintain distance and always use masks in all activities. Because, until now, it is not known when the COVID-19 pandemic will end. "The process must not be ignored so that we don't lose to the pandemic," he said.

Meanwhile, Director of the NTB Provincial Hospital Lalu Herman Mahaputra said his party had asked all hospitals to prepare rooms for up to 50 percent of the existing rooms to anticipate a spike in COVID-19 cases.

"For the fulfillment of rooms, let alone 2,000 rooms, even 4,000 rooms, the entire hospital is ready," said Dr. Jack, his nickname.

In addition to the availability of bedrooms for patients, oxygen cylinders for the NTB area are also ready. In fact, his party asked the existing hospitals to provide 100 oxygen cylinders as supplies, so that when the need increases the supplies will already be there.

"For our oxygen cylinders, we have exceeded it, unlike when our Delta variant had difficulties. We have asked all hospitals to buy 100 tubes themselves. So that when cases spike, we don't borrow from each other like before, we must have a backup," said the head of the vaccination task force. COVID-19 NTB Provincial Government.

However, to prevent COVID-19, efforts to accelerate vaccination must continue to be increased. In addition, the community must also improve health protocols.

"We are carrying out health protocols and vaccines. We are asking for vaccinations, because many of those sick with Omicron have not been vaccinated," he said.