100 doctors in Indonesia have died from Covid-19 as the number of cases and deaths continue to rise in the country. Most of them are doctors aged between 28 and 39 years old.
The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) released a statement on Monday (31 August) which included a list of names of health professionals who had lost the battle to Covid-19.
IDI chairman Daeng M. Fiqih told The Jakarta Post that there has been discussions with the national Covid-19 task force and relevant departments to ensure that there is enough protective equipment provided to hospitals and health facilities to prevent more deaths among health professionals.
Deadly serious: Wearing protective gear, members of a COVID-19 task force in Cilandak district, South Jakarta, carry a fake coffin around a neighborhood to raise awareness on the importance of adhering to health protocols. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
“Hospitals should issue a special policy that temporarily prohibits health personnel with comorbidities and those who are at higher risk [of contracting the coronavirus] from working,” he said.
“Health professionals should also be required to regularly take polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to ensure a safe working environment.”
Daeng added that hospitals should come up with a work schedule that takes into consideration doctors’ physical health to prevent fatigue. This is because fatigue makes people more vulnerable to the virus.
“Every stakeholder should work together to support hospitals in implementing those measures,” Daeng said.
On Sunday (30 August), the country’s health ministry announced 2,859 new Covid-19 cases and an additional 2,743 cases on 31 August. As of now, Indonesia has recorded a total of 174,796 cases, 125,959 recoveries and 7,417 deaths at the time of writing.
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