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West Java Health Agency faces troubles in tracing COVID-19 spread
West Java Health Agency head Berli Hamdani Gelung Sakti has said the agency faced difficulties in tracing the spread of COVID-19 in the region, a measure that has been taken following the Health Ministry’s recent announcement on a confirmed 27 cases in the country.
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Medical staff walked into the isolation room for COVID-19 cases at the Mohammad Hoesin Hospital (RSMH) Palembang, South Sumatra on Feb. 18,. (Antara/Nova Wahyudi )
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est Java Health Agency head Berli Hamdani Gelung Sakti said the agency faced difficulties in tracing the spread of COVID-19 in the region, a measure that has been taken following the Health Ministry’s recent announcement on a confirmed 27 cases in the country.
The agency only had a basic knowledge of the backgrounds of Case 1 and Case 2, as well as other COVID-19 patients that had contact with Case 1 and Case 2, said Berli.
They, however, did not have the elaborate documents concerning the said cases and patients, while such data would be important to conduct the trace to prevent the virus from widely spreading in the region, which is a home of 46.5 million people, he added.
“It is important for us to know [the cases and patients] by name. However, up until now, the Health Ministry has not given us any information on the [confirmed] patients,” Berli said during the officiation of West Java COVID-19 Information Center in Bandung on Tuesday.
Read also: COVID-19: Referral hospitals in West Java lack protective gear, medical equipment
Officials from the Health Agency of West Java province were ordered to trace all of the medical team members that were in contact with Case 1 and Case 2. Furthermore, officials at the city level can trace all of the people outside the medical team that are in contact with the confirmed patients.
“Meanwhile, personnel at the puskesmas [community health facility] were told to educate the locals [about the disease and its prevention] to avoid mass panic,” Berli said.
As of Tuesday, the West Java Health Agency had monitored 633 people concerning the COVID-19 infection. The close monitoring was conducted due to 633 people’s history of traveling or having direct contact with people from the COVID-19 clusters.
As many as 235 out of the 633 have finished their monitoring process.
In the close observation level, the agency has observed a total of 53 people in isolation facilities. Twenty-three of them have been discharged from the facilities. (gis)
