COVID WAKE UP CALL FOR INDONESIA TO IMPROVE MEDICAL INDUSTRY CAPACITYby Fardah

 

Jakarta, 1/9/2021 (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo, in a video that later went viral, visited a pharmacy in Bogor, West Java on July 23, 2021 to buy oseltamivir and other COVID-19 medicines only to be told they were not available.

He was told that the medicines were not available as the pharmacy had not received supplies of the anti-virus drugs for a long time.

In July this year, Indonesia saw a record jump in COVID-19 cases due to the spread of the Delta variant in Java and Bali in particular.

The country's daily COVID-19 cases hit a record of 56,757 on July 15, 2021, while the daily deaths touched 2,069 on July 27, 2021.

The grave situation forced the government to enforce strict peoples movement restrictions (PPKM), or semi lockdowns, as the Widodo administration avoided using the term lockdown in handling the pandemic.

The drastic COVID-19 spike overwhelmed the nation. Hospitals became overloaded with COVID-19 patients and the demand for drugs and medical oxygen jumped significantly, forcing the country to import them in larger quantities and accept the helping hand offered by other countries.

More worryingly, Indonesia barely produced three percent of medicines and medical equipment, while the remaining 97 percent were imported, particularly raw materials, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

"For medicines, only three percent are produced domestically. We still import 97 percent (of them), since out of the 1,809 drug items in the e-catalog, only 56 drug items are produced domestically," the minister stated at a virtual press conference held to discuss efforts to bolster the use of domestically made medical equipment products.

Out of the 10 major medicinal raw materials, only two are produced domestically, specifically Clopidogrel and Paracetamol, while the rest are still imported, the minister informed. Similarly, most of the country's medical devices are imported, he added.

He then expressed concern over the high percentage of imports in the procurement of medical equipment, medicines, and raw materials for medicines.

Indonesia accelerates vaccination drive to achieve herd immunity by Fardah

 Jakarta, Aug 31, 2021 (Antara) - Indonesia has seen a continuous decline in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases lately thanks to the enforcement of strict public activity restrictions (PPKM), in Java and Bali Islands in particular, since July 3, 2021.

Besides, the authorities have also carried out massive efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic through increased testing, close-contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine as well as enforcement of health protocols to break the chain of virus transmission.

After nearly two months of implementing the semi-lockdown, the country recorded 5,436 new cases on August 30, 2021, bringing the total COVID-19 tally to 4,079,267, while the daily deaths stood at 568, taking the death toll to 132,491.

The figures showed a sharp decline compared to 56,757 fresh confirmed cases recorded on July 15, 2021, as Indonesia's daily COVID-19 cases hit a record due to the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID-19. The highest daily deaths were recorded at 2,069 on July 27, 2021.

Despite the decline in new cases, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on August 30, 2021, announced that once again PPKM would be extended until September 6, 2021.

Several regions have seen improvement in COVID-19 handling, hence the government has lowered the PPKM level from 4 to 3 for Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek), Surabaya, Bandung, Malang, and Solo, while Semarang's level has been reduced to 2.

In general, the COVID-19 handling in Java and Bali has shown improvement, hence the government will loosen PPKM in stages, the President said.

Despite the relaxation of the PPKM implementation, the public has been told to remain vigilant and adhere to the health protocols, including wearing face masks and keeping a safe distance.

INDONESIA REDOUBLES EFFORTS TO REDUCE CHILDHOOD STUNTING by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug  25, 2021 - Indonesia's children are its future and its most valuable asset. In fact, the present condition of children under the age of five is a reflection of Indonesia’s future.

 

Therefore, the government is eager to make sure that the younger generation grows healthy and becomes a golden generation by prioritizing and accelerating a drastic reduction in stunting rate among Indonesian children.

 

The national stunting rate, recorded at 37 percent in 2013, declined to 30.8 percent in 2018, and 27.6 percent in 2019. Currently, the stunting rate is around 27.7 percent. The government has set a target of reducing the stunting rate to 14 percent by 2024.

 

Four Indonesian districts have continued to report a very high number of cases of stunting, a growth disorder caused by chronic malnutrition in children — Jeneponto (41.3 percent) and Bantaeng districts (21 percent) of South Sulawesi, Minahasa district (38.6 percent) of North Sulawesi, and South Nias district (57 percent) of North Sumatra.

 

However, the government has been facing a huge challenge in the implementation of the stunting reduction program owing to the COVID-19 pandemic that started in early 2020.

 

"The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a challenge in reducing the stunting rates. Achievements from the last seven years must be maintained to achieve the 14-percent target by the end of 2024," Vice President Ma'ruf Amin noted at the virtual National Coordination Meeting on stunting prevention on August 23, 2021.

 

The government is determined that despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the stunting reduction program continues and is expedited, and has asked all regional heads to assess all work programs, activities, and local government budgets. 

GOVT TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN ORPHANED BY COVID-19 by Fardah

 

Jumat, 20 Ags 2021 20:44

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Gahazy Pranatayudha, 12 years old boy living in Pemalang, Central Java, suddenly became an orphan as he lost both his parents to COVID-19 this August.

His father succumbed to the coronavirus on August 6, 2021, and two days later, on August 8, his mother also died of the virus, leaving the only child in the family all alone.

In Samarinda, East Kalimantan, June 10, 2021, was the saddest day for the Mansyur family, as Dila, Manda and Ade lost their parents, Mansyur and his wife, who both died of COVID-19 at a hospital in less than 24 hours. Their father was buried at 1:00 p.m. local time, and in the evening, their mother also passed away.

In East Java Province, 5,082 children lost their parents to the virus, according to Andriyanto, head of the local women's empowerment and child protection office on August 3.

"Those children will be counseled by psychologists who will assess them and help strengthen their mentality," he said.

A total of 11,045 children had become orphans due to COVID-19 as of July 20 this year. As per provisional data, Indonesia has around four million orphans, not including children who were victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data will continue to be updated with inputs from local governments, the Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini reported.

Her ministry is developing concepts and models for handling children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19, the minister said.

"It has been mandated in the 1945 Constitution that the poor and neglected children be looked after by the state. At the Social Affairs Ministry, the handling is carried out by the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation," Rismaharini said on August 13, 2021.

The handling of orphans must involve various related parties, as its implementation must have a legal and budgetary basis, she pointed out.

INDONESIA MARKS 76TH INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH LOW-KEY CELEBRATIONS y Fardah

Jakarta, 18/8/2021 (ANTARA) - For the second consecutive year, the Indonesian people celebrated the country's Independence Day, which falls on August 17, at home as the nation was forced to hold events virtually owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, the 76th anniversary of Indonesia's independence was held amid the strict enforcement of level 4 public activity restrictions (PPKM), imposed by the government since July 3, 2021 to tackle an alarming surge in cases caused by the more contagious and deadly Delta variant of the coronavirus.

Owing to the pandemic, the annual tradition of holding competitions for people across the country to celebrate Independence day had to be discarded as such events usually pull large crowds.

According to the National Task Force for COVID-19 Handling, Indonesia added 20,741 new cases in a single day on August 17, 2021, bringing the total tally to 3,892,479, and recorded 1,180 new deaths, taking the total death toll to 120,013 deaths.

The data showed that restriction measures have managed to bring down daily cases from a high of 56,757 on July 15, 2021, the task force said.

On Tuesday midnight, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) paid tribute to fallen freedom fighters at Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery, South Jakarta, as part of the Independence Day commemorations.

"We pledge and promise that the struggle of those heroes is also our struggle, and their path of services is also our path," he emphasized.

DOUBLE PROTECTION FOR INDONESIAN FRONTLINERS AMID COVID-19 SPIKE by Fardah

 

Jakarta, 13/8 / 2021(ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has been working hard to provide all healthcare workers booster shots amid a surge in COVID-19 infections caused by the highly transmissible and deadly Delta variant of the coronavirus.

The national task force for COVID-19 handling on August 12, 2021 recorded 36,637 new confirmed COVID-19 daily cases, bringing the total tally to 3,247,715. Meanwhile, with 1,466 additional fatalities, the total death toll climbed to 113,664.

The figures are considered still high, although they have declined thanks to the government enforcing strict people's movement restrictions (PPKM) or semi-lockdowns since July 3, 2021.

Indonesia's daily COVID-19 cases had hit a record of 56,757 on July 15, 2021, while the daily deaths had touched 2,069 on July 27, 2021.

The Health Ministry has cited the Delta variant and poor compliance with health protocols as the main factors that triggered the drastic surge.

Many healthcare workers, particularly doctors and nurses, who practically have had no chance to rest as the country's COVID-19 cases have not flattened since early 2020, have fallen victim to the new coronavirus variant.

According to data from the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), as of July 17 this year, 1,323 Indonesian healthcare workers have succumbed to COVID-19, and more than three thousand doctors have been exposed to the virus, Moh Adib Khumaidi, chairman of IDI's mitigation team, said recently.

Khumaidi called for the launch of a movement to support and protect healthcare workers across regions. The IDI will also collaborate with other organizations, such as the Indonesian Nurses' Association (PPNI), to promote the call to support healthcare workers, he said.