Mimika Regency Government is preparing Emergency Hospital to anticipate a surge in COVID-19 patients

Anticipate a surge in COVID-19 patients

Timika (ANTARA) – The Mimika Regency Government, Papua Province, is still preparing the Wisma Athlete Flats facility in the Timika Jaya SP2 Village area to become an Emergency Hospital for handling COVID-19 patients in the event of a surge in patients in January 2021.

Mimika Health Service Head Reynold Ubra in Timika, Sunday, said that initially the Wisma Atlet Flat was prepared to become an emergency hospital to treat patients with moderate symptoms so that the hospital burden could be reduced, especially when there was a very significant spike in COVID-19 cases in Mimika in mid August to the end of September.

However, from mid-October to the end of October, the number of COVID-19 patients being treated at Mimika Hospital and Timika Hospital has decreased dramatically so that practically the emergency hospital in the Wisma Atlet Flat has not been operational.

“Regarding functioning or not, I think it is only a matter of time. We are still planning the facility to become an emergency hospital to anticipate the increase in COVID-19 patients in January. We predict that there will be an increase in cases in January because during the Christmas holidays many people will go to the hospital. outside of Timika. When they return, we anticipate a surge in cases, “said Reynold.

The Mimika Health Office has prepared around 100 personnel to manage and operate the Mimika Athlete Hospital Flat.

They consist of two internist specialist doctors, general practitioners, nurses, medical support, cleaning staff and ambulance drivers with a division of work time of three teams a day.

“We have prepared the strength through trainings. We have also compiled the SOP (standard operating procedure) and performed a simulation of patient handling. Those are all the series that we have to prepare,” said Reynold.

According to him, anticipating a surge in COVID-19 patients in early 2021 could not only be carried out by the Health Service and other health institutions, but it is hoped that the involvement of all elements who are members of the Mimika Regency COVID-19 Handling Task Force (Satgas).

“That is a big task that the Mimika Regency COVID-19 Task Force will face. We need a new strategy to deal with the backflow after the Christmas and New Year holidays because there will be many people returning from vacation to their hometowns and when they return they have the potential to carry cases of this virus. to Timika, “he said.

As of Saturday (31/10), the cumulative COVID-19 in Mimika has reached 2,532 cases, of which 2,055 patients have been declared cured.

There are currently 452 active cases of COVID-19 in Mimika and 25 cases of death due to COVID-19 in Mimika to date.

There are areas in Mimika that have the status of the red zone of COVID-19 transmission, namely in four districts (sub-districts), 13 wards, and one village (village). Meanwhile, the yellow zone includes three districts, five urban villages and seven villages.

Anticipate a surge in COVID-19 patients