At least 25 Indonesian doctors die of Covid-19, association say
AP
Monday, 06 Apr 20209:34 PM MYT
Shop attendants waiting for customers behind a sheet of plastic installed to help curb the spread of the coronavirus at a pharmacy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Monday (April 6). Indonesia confirmed 218 new Covid-19 cases, its biggest daily rise, taking the national tally to 2,491, the Health Ministry said. - AP
JAKRAT: At least 25 Indonesian doctors have died after contracting the Covid-19 (coronavirus) symptoms, the country's medical association said Monday (April 6), raising alarm about the toll the disease is taking on health workers.
"At least 19 doctors and six dentists have succumbed to Covid-19," said Halik Malik, spokesman for the Indonesian Medical Association, referring to the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
No figures are available for casualties among other health workers, including nurses, he said.
He urged the government to be transparent about the number of health workers affected by the virus.
"We need data that everyone can refer to and can be the basis for preventive strategies for health workers so we can focus on tackling Covid-19," he said.
"If the number of positive cases among health workers continues to increase, health services will be disrupted, not to mention that they could transmit the disease to patients and their families," he added.
On Monday, Indonesia confirmed 218 new Covid-19 cases, its biggest daily rise, taking the national tally to 2,491, the Health Ministry said. The death toll rose by 11 to 209, it said.
The government has been criticised for low rates of testing.
President Joko Widodo said Monday that Indonesia was not among the ten countries hit hardest by the virus.
"This should be conveyed to the public: that Indonesia is not alone in facing this epidemic, to put things in perspective" he said.- dpa/Asian News Network
