Indonesia - the Covid-19 'epicenter' in Southeast Asia records record number of doctor deaths
The number of doctors dying from Covid-19 in the country has increased sharply in the first half of July due to the Delta variant causing an outbreak across the country, according to the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI).
A total of 114 doctors in Indonesia have died from Covid-19 between July 1 and 17. This represents more than 20% of the total 545 doctors who have died from the disease in Indonesia since the beginning of the pandemic, IDI said in an online press conference.
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| Medical staff treat a Covid-19 patient at Persahabatan Hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Reuters |
Mahesa Paranadipa, a senior IDI official, said the association was concerned that Indonesia's health system was not capable of dealing with the pandemic.
“We are worried that the health system will collapse. These are just the statistics, there may be many cases that have not been reported to us,” Mr. Paranadipa said.
The number of Covid-19 deaths among healthcare workers in Indonesia continues to rise despite a 95% vaccination rate, prompting the Indonesian government to consider giving booster shots to healthcare workers.
Indonesia has reported the highest number of new Covid-19 cases in the world in recent days due to the spread of the Delta variant. The world's fourth most populous country has a daily death toll only surpassed by Brazil.
According to health experts, Indonesia is currently the “epicenter” of the Covid-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia. On July 18, Indonesia recorded 44,721 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 1,093 deaths.
The Indonesian government has imposed strict movement restrictions nationwide since July 3 to contain the spread of the pandemic. The restrictions are scheduled to expire on July 20, but may be extended./.
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