35 Health Care Staff Test Positive for Covid-19 at Jakarta's Fatmawati Hospital

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – A leading Covid-19 referral hospital in Jakarta has stayed strong on the frontlines of the capital's fight against the coronavirus despite seeing 35 of its staff testing positive for the disease.

Fatmawati Hospital President-Director Mochammad Syafak Hanung said "35 of our staff have tested positive for Covid-19 following rapid and swab tests administed to 1,307 employees between March 18 and August 7 of this year”.

“The swab tests are particularly used to test employees who we deem to be particularly vulnerable [to Covid-19],” Mochammad said in a written statement on August 14.

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It's business as usual for the hospital, Syafak said.

“As a Covid-19 referral hospital, Fatmawati Hospital has health protocols, internal policies and guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among our patients, staff and visitors,” he assured.

Syafak admitted there is still room for improvement.

“We will introduce a number of changes in training our staff. This includes guidelines on wearing and taking off personal protective equipment [PPE],” he asserted. “Procedures like these, or swab tests, will be carried out without disrupting our services.”

Syafak added that Fatmawati Hospital has the requisite facilities and manpower required for Covid-19 services, in line with its standing as a Technical Implementation Unit facility under the Ministry of Health.

“The facilities include negative low-pressure isolation rooms, isolation rooms with normal air pressure, special operating rooms for Covid-19 cases, hemodialysis chambers, as well as NICU units adjusted for those with the pandemic,” he said.