Jakarta (ANTARA) - Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto urged the hospital management to continue to innovate in order to improve health services during the COVID-19 pandemic by changing the work culture by veering towards adopting new habits.
"In facing the transition to adapting to new habits, hospitals must be able to imbibe a new culture by making changes to the service system, so that they are able to keep up with developments during the COVID-19 pandemic," the minister stated during a seminar held virtually in Jakarta, Friday.
According to Terawan, demands for a cultural change at hospitals are fulfilled by stringently applying health protocols in the hospital environment, specifically through the use of masks, maintaining physical distance, and offering designated places for handwashing using soap. In addition, hospitals mandated to apply strict infection prevention and control protocols.
Terawan noted that currently, the central government, through the Ministry of Health, and local governments, through the governors in their respective provinces, have designated several hospitals to offer services to COVID-19 patients.
However, the minister noted that with the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, the patients were also provided treatment by state and other private hospitals. Hence, each hospital is expected to have readied health services for COVID-19 patients.
"The Ministry of Health continues to coordinate with the local governments to ensure preparedness in meeting the required isolation room capacity," he noted.
Terawan stated that COVID-19 services at hospitals can be improved by monitoring evaluation and follow-up plans for COVID-19 patients being served as well as submitting reports to the provincial health office and the Ministry of Health by updating the Daily Online Hospital System.
Each hospital is urged to conduct an assessment and capacity planning for its logistical requirements to handle a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Each hospital is also necessitated to coordinate with the provincial and district-city health offices if it is designated for specifically serving COVID-19 patients.
The health minister expressed optimism that the hospital would also intensify cooperation with the network of hospitals serving COVID-19 patients to strengthen hospital service operations and management, as well as build cooperation with stakeholders in the region.
Terawan highlighted the directives of the Indonesian president in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic in the country through the application of a three-tier approach that encompasses reducing the number of new cases, increasing the cure rate, and lowering the death rate due to COVID-19.
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