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COVID-19: Medical workers in East Nusa Tenggara opt to stay in hospital amid gear shortage

Amid a shortage of protective gear plaguing almost all medical workers in the country, eight nurses and two doctors have opted to stay at the hospital to treat the patient.

Markus Makur (The Jakarta Post)
Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara
Fri, March 27, 2020

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COVID-19: Medical workers in East Nusa Tenggara opt to stay in hospital amid gear shortage Medical workers prepare tools for conducting rapid testing for COVID-19 at the Abadijaya health community center (Puskesmas) in Depok, West Java on Friday. (JP/Riand Alfiandy)

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team of doctors and nurses in Ben Mboi Regional General Hospital in Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara is working around the clock against all odds to take care of the province's first patient suspected to have been infected with COVID-19.

Amid a shortage of protective gear plaguing almost all medical workers in the country, eight nurses and two doctors have opted to stay at the hospital to treat the patient.

The hospital's public relations head Laurens Guntur said the doctors and nurses were staying in a dormitory specifically designated for health workers.

"Some of the doctors and nurses have spouses and children at home, but they opt to temporarily stay at the hospital to treat the patient," Laurens said.

Maggarai regency, where the hospital is located, does not have a referral hospital for COVID-19, however the Manggarai administration decided to establish an isolation room at Ben Mboi hospital to accommodate COVID-19 suspects transferred from local health community centers (Puskesmas).

Laurens said a lack of protective gear had forced several medical workers to take creative measures to protect themselves.

"Some Puskesmas health workers used plastic raincoats to protect themselves from the coronavirus when they transferred the COVID-19 suspect to the hospital several days ago," he said.

Ben Mboi hospital is also struggling to find protective gear for the team of doctors and nurses treating the COVID-19 suspect at the hospital.

"We ordered protective gear for our medical workers some time ago, but due to limited supply we only managed to get 10 sets," he said.

Laurens explained that despite the limitations, the hospital's health workers always tried to wear protective gear according to the standard implemented by the Health Ministry.

"The team members wear several layers of protective gear. Besides overalls, they also wear a raincoat, operation gown, and disposable apron underneath," he said.

Local authorities have reported that 254 residents in East Nusa Tenggara are under general monitoring and have been ordered to self-quarantine. There has been only one patient under close monitoring amid no confirmed cases yet in the province. (nal)

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