Hospital steps up measures to prevent virus spread

Fri, March 27, 2020 / 09:55 am

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Medical gloves have become scarce amid the coronavirus outbreak. JP/Fauzan
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A staff member sprays disinfectant inside the Soelastri Dental Hospital (RSGM Soelastri) in Surakarta, Central Java. JP/Fauzan
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Indonesia’s national emblem, the Garuda Pancasila, is sprayed with disinfectant liquid. JP/Fauzan
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Soelastri Dental Hospital workers disinfect the hospital once every two days. JP/Fauzan
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During the coronavirus pandemic, the hospital is only handling emergency cases. JP/Fauzan
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Soelastri Dental Hospital is owned by Muhammadiyah University in Surakarta, Central Java. JP/Fauzan
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The hospital outlines designated standing spaces in lifts to help prevent virus transmission. JP/Fauzan
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Some seats must remain unoccupied to avoid close contact between visitors. JP/Fauzan
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An employee gets her temperature checked. JP/Fauzan
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Healthcare professionals are equipped with protective gear. JP/Fauzan
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A radiologist wears a mask and protective suit while operating a dental X-ray machine. JP/Fauzan

Fauzan

Soelastri Dental Hospital (RSGM Soelastri) in Surakarta, Central Java, has taken drastic measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The hospital now only treats patients with serious health problems.

“Patients in emergency situations can receive treatment. Emergency cases include swelling or infection of the face or neck and teeth or jaw fractures,” the hospital’s mouth surgeon Nina Runting said.

“If it is not emergency, we advise patients to stay at home.”

Although the hospital is not tasked with treating COVID-19 patients, its doctors and employees still face a high risk of virus transmission as they may come in contact with the patients’ saliva, which could carry the coronavirus.

Therefore, the hospital has applied strict measures to keep the facility clean and its staff protected. At the entrance, an officer will check the temperature of every employee, patient and visitor.

The hospital is disinfected once every two days. Amid the scarcity of medical equipment, the hospital has tried its best to provide masks, gloves and face shields for all doctors and nurses. [yps]