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Indonesia seeks data from hospitals on pneumonia over Covid-19 coronavirus concerns

Indonesia’s Health Ministry’s disease control and prevention directorate general has sought data from the state-operated hospitals on cases of pneumonia and other respiratory diseases over Covid-19 coronavirus concerns.

It has sought information from the hospitals over increasing concern of the Covid-19 coronavirus going undetected, reported The Jakarta Post.

The director-general Anung Sugihantono in a letter dated 26 February has urged these hospitals to share the data regarding acute respiratory infection (ISPA) and pneumonia cases registered between 1 December 2019 and 25 February 2020.

Data was also sought on the number of deaths due to respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia.

The directorate general’s secretary, Achmad Yurianto was quoted by the publication as saying: “Usually hospitals send the report to the health service directorate general. We want to get the same report too so we can manage the data,” he said. “The one in the health service directorate general is mixed up with other illnesses, so it takes a long time to map them.”

Yurianto claimed no major increase has been seen in pneumonia deaths in the past three months as against the corresponding period of the previous year.

Indonesia is yet to detect any confirmed Covid-19 coronavirus cases, although experts have raised concerns that such cases may have gone undetected due to a lack of testing abilities.

As of yesterday, Indonesia had tested 143 specimens in addition to the 188 crew members of the World Dream cruise ship who began their two-week observation period on Sebaru Kecil Island, near Jakarta, on Friday.

Now, the ministry is also planning to conduct tests of the 69 crew members of the Diamond Princess who were earlier quarantined in Japan, thereby taking the total count of Covid-19 coronavirus tests to around 400.

Details

  • Indonesia
  • Anung Sugihantono