Gov't Asks Hospital to Prevent Overworking Among Staffs as Omicron Looms

TheIndonesia.id - The Indonesian authorities are warning hospitals of potential overworking among its health workers and asking them to create a “humane” work shift, as COVID-19 third wave continues in Indonesia.

Spokesperson for the Task Force Wiku Adisasmito said hospitals in Indonesia must ensure the wellbeing of its workers to prevent burnout and overworking, as the country braces rise in confirmed cases.

“We urge hospitals to ensure that medical staffs can work in a humane rhythm to avoid exhaustion,” Adisasmito said on Tuesday, February 8, as reported by Antara.

He added that the Ministry of Health and National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) continue to ensure adequate supply of necessary equipment and facilities for the protection of patients and health workers, including personal protective equipment (PPE).

The COVID-19 Task Force also revealed that the recent case surge has exceeded the first wave’s peak where the highest weekly new cases were 88,000 cases. On the other hand, Indonesia recorded 170,000 new confirmed cases last week alone.

“As case increases, hospitalization rate becomes our concern,” Adisasmito said.

According to him, as of Monday, national bed occupancy rate was at 24.77 percent. And the rate were higher than national rate in four provinces: Jakarta (66 percent), Bali (45 percent), Banten (39 percent), and West Java (32 percent).

On Tuesday, Indonesia reported 37,492 daily cases and 83 deaths. Vaccination continues across the country, and more than 132 million people in the country have been double-jabbed, with 5.8 million people have received their booster shots.