As Jakarta heads into lockdown, doctors warn of buckling health system

JAKARTA - Doctors in Indonesia’s capital warned on Thursday the coronavirus pandemic is “not under control” with Jakarta intensive care units nearing full capacity and the city ordering new lockdown measures amid a spike in infections. Indonesia posted a record high 3,861 positive cases on Thursday, while the capital has recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases on average each day this month, placing considerable strain on hospitals in the world’s fourth most populous nation. The occupancy rate of isolation rooms at 67 coronavirus referral hospitals is currently at 77 per cent, while the ICU occupancy is 83 per cent, according to the Jakarta administration. “It is like we have been running a marathon since March, we are exhausted,” said Erlina Burhan, a pulmonologist from Persahabatan Hospital, “This is not to be underestimated. The situation is not under control.” The number of patients being treated for suspected cases of Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, tripled from July to August at Persahabatan, Jakarta’s main referral hospital.

from Asia
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