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-19task force and relevant departments to ensure the availability of protectiveequipment in hospitals and health facilities so as to prevent more deaths amonghealth workers.
He called hospitals to issue a special policythat temporarily prohibits health personnel with comorbidities and those whoare at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus from working.
Health professionals should also be required to regularly take polymerase chainreaction (PCR) tests to ensure a safe working environment, he said.
Furthermore, he also urged hospitals to create a work schedule in accordancewith doctors’ physical health to prevent fatigue, which makes them morevulnerable to the virus.
On August 30, the Indonesian Health Ministryannounced 2,858 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number ofinfections nationwide to 172,053. As many as 82 more people died of thedisease, bringing the death toll to 7,343.
On the same day, the Philippine Ministry of Health confirmed 3,448 moreCOVID-19 infections and 38 dealths, raising the tally in the country to 220,819and 3,559, respectively./.
VNA
