Gov’t to Link Data of Patients with Comorbidities

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan delivers a press statement online following a limited meeting on public activity restriction evaluation, Monday (02/21). (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretary/Jay)

The Government has announced it is set to link data of patients with comorbidities following the directives of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to curb risks of death due to COVID-19 among senior citizens and persons with comorbidities.

“During the limited meeting today, the President ordered for the risk of death in unvaccinated senior citizens and [persons] with comorbidities be reduced as much as possible with good management,” Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said in his press statement following a limited meeting on public activity restriction (PPKM) evaluation led by President Jokowi, Monday (02/21).

According to Luhut, one of the measures is to improve treatment response to COVID-19 patients with comorbidities by connecting data in the system of the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) and in Ministry of Health’s New All Record (NAR) system.

“Last night during the meeting with experts and hospital [representatives], we decided to quickly build interconnection between BPJS Kesehatan that has comorbidity data and Ministry of Health’s NAR that has data of increase in [the number of COVID-19] cases. Therefore, should there be an increase, we can immediately detect whether the patient has comorbidities and treatment can be given faster and much of the risk of death can be reduced,” he said.

Luhut also pointed out that based on the data from Ministry of Health as of Saturday (02/19), out of 2,484 patients who died, 73 percent were not fully vaccinated, 53 percent were senior citizens, and 46 percent had comorbidities.

“On average, patients with comorbidities die in five days after being admitted to a hospital. The most common comorbidity is diabetes mellitus. Therefore, let me reiterate that patients with comorbidities, especially diabetes mellitus, must immediately be brought to hospital if infected [by COVID-19]. Do not wait until it gets worse,” he said.

Luhut also underscored that although the number of daily Omicron COVID-19 cases has exceeded the peak of Delta variant cases last year, the rate of hospitalization and mortality is still much lower compared to that of the Delta variant some time ago,” he said.

For the past week, Luhut added, several regions have seen a downward trend of confirmed daily cases, including Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Banten, and Bali.

“The hospitalization rate also seems to decrease in Special Capital Region of Jakarta and Bali. As of today, bed occupancy rate of hospitals in all provinces in Java and Bali islands is still far below the rate during Delta variant [spike],” he said, adding that the Government remains vigilant of an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in health care workers, including nurses, supporting workers, and hospital management employees.

“It indicates that many of them are exposed at their own home or neighborhood. The Government remains vigilant of this matter by urging Ministry of Health to monitor the use of and improve discipline in using personal protective equipment as well as to provide special lodging facilities to avoid close contact with families,” he remarked. (DND/UN) (DH/EP)