Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 1,031 medical workers have died in Indonesia from March 2020 until June 2021, according to authorities.
Xinhua news agency quoted Secretary-General of the Indonesian Hospital Association (PERSI), Lia Gardenia Partakusuma as saying that amongst the victims, 405 were general practitioners, 43 dentists, 328 nurses, 160 midwives, and 95 others.
With the entry of the new Delta variant, Indonesia is now facing a second wave that has put a lot of pressure on its hospitals. Moreover, medical workers who have recovered from Covid-19 are being asked to return to hospitals at the earliest to deal with the soaring number of patients, according to Partakusuma.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government is planning to import medical oxygen tanks as the country is fighting the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
The plan was announced by the country’s Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin during a hearing on Monday at the House of Representatives, reports Xinhua news agency.
Sadikin said the Ministry is planning to import oxygen cylinders measuring six cubic meters and one cubic meter to meet the need of additional emergency rooms in hospitals.
The needed oxygen, the minister said, will be supplied to a number of hospitals in regions on the country’s most populated island of Java, particularly West Java, Central Java and East Java.
Hospitals on the island are reportedly facing shortages of oxygen.
Indonesia on Monday recorded 29,745 new confirmed cases, marking the highest daily spike and bringing the total tally to 2,313,829, the Health Ministry said.
The death toll added by 558 to 61,140, the ministry reported.