Health workers take a swab from a man for COVID-19 testing in Surakarta city of Indonesia (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – Chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) Daeng M. Fiqih said his association had coordinated with the national COVID-19 task force and relevant departments to ensure the availability of protective equipment in hospitals and health facilities so as to prevent more deaths among health workers.
He called hospitals to issue a special policy that temporarily prohibits health personnel with comorbidities and those who are at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus from working.
Health professionals should also be required to regularly take polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to ensure a safe working environment, he said.
Furthermore, he also urged hospitals to create a work schedule in accordance with doctors’ physical health to prevent fatigue, which makes them more vulnerable to the virus.
On August 30, the Indonesian Health Ministry announced 2,858 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 172,053. As many as 82 more people died of the disease, bringing the death toll to 7,343.
On the same day, the Philippine Ministry of Health confirmed 3,448 more COVID-19 infections and 38 dealths, raising the tally in the country to 220,819 and 3,559, respectively./.
VNA
