289 Indonesian Doctors Died of Covid-19 as of January 26

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - As the country's Covid-19 caseload continues to climb, 289 Indonesian doctors have died from coronavirus as of January 26, LaporCovid-19 (Report Covid-19) community quoted the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) as saying. 

The data were summarized by IDI's Risk-Mitigation Team comprising the Indonesian Dentists Association (PDGI), the Indonesian National Nurses Association (PPNI), the Indonesian Midwives Association (IBI), the Indonesian Medical Laboratory Technology Expert Association (PATELKI), and the Indonesian Pharmacists Association (IAI).

Adib Khumaidi, IDI's Risk-Mitigation Team head, said based on the comparison of statistical testing and population, the mortality of medical and health personnel in Indonesia is in the top three worldwide.

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As many as 161 doctors, or about 50 percent of the tally, were general practitioners followed by specialists and residents.

East Java recorded 56 deaths of doctors, followed by Jakarta with 43 deaths, as well as Central Java and West Java with 41 and 33 deaths, respectively. The remaining doctors have died of coronavirus in other provinces.

Adib went on to say that the activity and mobility of the people have contributed to the increase. 

Since the Covid-19 first hit Indonesia in March 2020, the capital city of Jakarta has consistently been one of the areas with the highest transmission rates.

Also read: Local Covid-19 Detector to be Used as Main Screening Tool in Indonesia

As of January 31, it was recorded that 269,718 Jakarta residents had been infected by the coronavirus, or a quarter of Indonesia's Covid-19 cases, which stood at 1,078,314. It was also reported that 4,267 people have died of the Covid-19.

Meanwhile, 242,069 patients have been declared cured, and 23,382 others are still being treated in the hospital or undergoing independent isolation.

Adib reminded the government and health facility heads to ensure that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medical and health workers is sufficient and routine testing for Covid-19 should be done routinely. 

“However, we [the health workers] are now not only the front guard, but also the last bastion,” Adib said recently.

(Writers: Ivany Atiba Arbi, Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Ellyvon Pranita | Editors: Ivany Atiba Arbi, Dani Prabowo, Bestari Kumala Dewi)

Sources: https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2021/02/01/13112961/kematian-dokter-akibat-covid-19-di-jakarta-tertinggi-kedua-se-indonesia

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/01/28/15003431/idi-kematian-tenaga-medis-indonesia-3-besar-di-dunia

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