By: Hendra J Kede *)
The Head of the General Section of the Central KI Secretariat, Ms. Nunik, provided several alternative places for treatment after the author was confirmed positive for COVID-19: Self-isolation in official apartments, self-isolation in hotels, being treated in a public hospital, or being treated at a COVID-19 Emergency Hospital (Rumah Sakit Darurat Covid-19 – RSDC) Wisma Atlet Kemayoran Jakarta.
All of these alternatives have been consulted with dr. Lutfi, Head of Primary Clinic of the Ministry of Communication and Information, and with the Head of Finance Bureau of the Ministry of Communication and Information, Mr Sigit Nugroho. Of course all of this is under the coordination of the Secretary of the Central KI Secretariat, Mr Munzair.
The author asks for time to consider everything. The author feels the need to be treated in a place that, according to the author, will reduce the chance of transmission to others and increase the chances of making healing efforts.
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One thing that the authors use as a benchmark in deciding where to care: it must be based on the opinion of someone who understands, the opinion of experts. And because of that the writer positions himself as a person who does not understand or at least his understanding is not correct.
That is the right perspective in the author’s opinion for ordinary people about the medical world, such as the author, in dealing with situations that are exposed and positive to COVID-19. Leave the decision to the experts. Why? Because COVID-19 treatment is not only about how to negate yourself from the Corona Virus but what is no less important is how at the same time it can protect vital organs, especially the lungs, from more severe damage. According to the author, only experts can decide this.
Moreover, what is being faced is a global pandemic that has devastated all sectors of life. Let alone drugs and even vaccines are still in the research and trial stage. This reality, of course, requires expert opinion to make decisions, including the decision on the qualification of the place of care.
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After consulting with several friends of doctors and epidemic experts who, in my view, understood the situation I was facing, the authors came to several conclusions.
First. There is no effective drug to cure COVID-19. Healing is obtained from the patient’s body immunity. So what needs to be done is to grow or increase the body’s immunity.
Second. So far, the body’s immunity cannot be increased with a vaccine because a vaccine has not been found. So that the most effective way to increase immunity is: 1. Maintaining a diet known as High Protein High Calorie (Tinggi Protein Tinggi Kalori – TPTK), 2. Adequate rest, 3. Peace of mind and mental health, 4. Regular and measured exercise, 5. Sunbathing enough morning sunshine.
Third. It is very important to always be under expert supervision to monitor developments on a day to day basis in order to, if necessary, take medical measures that are measured quickly, such as administering drugs or medical emergencies due to the impact of virus entry on vital organs.
A friend gave the view: choose a place of care that allows the development of the impact of being infected with the COVID-19 virus on vital organs in the body that can be monitored periodically by an expert so that the negative effects can be minimized.
It is three considerations that dominate the authors’ thinking when making a care setting decision.
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Public Hospital
Public Hospitals certainly not only serve COVID-19 positive patients, services for patients with other health complaints continue to run normally as before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The implication is of course the strict treatment of the treatment location and the COVID-19 patient itself. All COVID-19 patients will of course be placed on a special floor and are not allowed to enter and exit that special floor.
The author even thought of a question, will all patients for all symptom levels, minus symptoms requiring ICU rooms, be placed in the same room? Old patients who may be in the stage of getting better with new patients whose viruses are still very strong and active will be placed in the same room?
Even today, the author has not yet received a definite answer to this question, so in making a decision the writer chooses an assumption that makes the writer feel comfortable. The author did not write this assumption on purpose here, readers would have guessed it.
Another question that arises is whether if he is treated at the Public Hospital, can I exercise and sunbathe in the morning? Isn’t exercise and sunbathing in the morning sun very good and important to help repair metabolisms and increase the immunity of COVID-19 positive patients?
The author also cannot find satisfactory answers to these questions. The image that appears in the author’s mind is dominated by the image of the general treatment model in the hospital: falling asleep in bed, doing activities in the treatment room if you get a room, doing minimal activities beside the bed if you can’t get a room, getting medicine, and getting periodic visitations of health workers.
The author’s view of the general hospital above led the author to the decision to seek alternative information for other treatment places before making a decision.
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Self-isolation in official apartments
Another option is self-isolation in official apartments. The author as the Central KI Commissioner who comes from outside Jabodetabek is indeed provided with housing facilities by the state.
Of course the author will not choose this option. Too dangerous for the writer and even more dangerous for the environment, fellow residents of the apartment.
The author is alone in the official apartment, family in Wonogiri, Central Java. Meanwhile, the dynamics of the development of patient health care due to positive COVID-19 are very dynamic, requiring immediate assessment and action from experts whenever there is a new dynamic in the patient. That’s just about medical care.
The author also considers supporting factors such as food. Not only how to procure food, from raw materials to cooking, but much more important is about the composition of food to meet the nutritional needs, protein, and balanced calories specifically for sufferers positive for COVID-19.
This last consideration is the main problem for self-isolated COVID-19 positive patients, let alone living alone like the author. The need for food intake with high protein and high calories is certainly difficult to serve in a measured and regular manner to those who undergo independent isolation at home, especially if they live alone like the author.
There is indeed an option to buy food from outside through a digital application. However this is really an option that the author has completely blocked. This option requires the author to hop on and off in the apartment lift for each booking. Very dangerous. Very potential to infect other apartment residents. And do I have enough energy for each day to fluctuate too?
Even if the author lives with his family, not alone, the writer still advises the friend not to choose the option of self-isolation at home unless, at least, the CT result of the PCR swab is equal to or greater than 35. The author is also reminded of the DKI Regional Government’s decision not to there is self-isolation at home in the early stages of being infected.
If there are only two choices, public hospital or independent isolation at home, the author will choose a public hospital.
Before making the final decision, the authors still consider 2 (two) other alternatives: Independent isolation at the hotel and entering the Wisma Atlet Hospital.
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Self-isolation in hotels
The author does not have the slightest idea how independent isolation in the hotel is. Is it the same as self-isolation at home? Or has the hotel been transformed into a special hospital for COVID-19 patients?
Until the author has to make a decision, the information about self-isolation in this hotel is not enough to provide a complete picture to the author, especially regarding the complete picture of medical equipment and personnel.
The author’s shadow is the same as the option of self-isolation in a service apartment. However, all non-medical needs have been prepared by the hotel, starting from meals and so on.
And the question of where to exercise and bask in the morning sun also did not find an answer.
I choose this option to be considered if the General Hospital option cannot, either because the hospital capacity is full or because the author’s BPJS class 1 cannot cover it. Although the author is the leader of the Non-Structural State Institution (Lembaga Negara Non Struktural – LNS), the author does not get health insurance other than BPJS class 1, which the author has previously also received because of the wife of a civil servant in the Wonogiri Regency Government.
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Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital COVID-19 (Rumah Sakit Darurat Covid-19 – RSDC).
The fourth option which is an alternative treatment is RSDC Wisma Atlet Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. The location is less than 30 minutes walk from the author’s official apartment.
Alhamdulillah, the writer followed the news on the process of determining Wsima Atlet as RSDC, news on the progress of the preparations, until the news of the inauguration by President Joko Widodo. The author can also get a picture of the Wisma Atlet RSDC from several friends so that the author gets a relatively complete picture of the RSDC Wisma Atlet Kemayoran.
First. There are several towers that function as RSDC. Each tower is used for different patient specifications. There is a special tower for those who only undergo independent isolation for People without Symptoms (OTG). Some are specifically for patients with cormobid status or comorbidities such as diabetes, heart disease, and so on.
Second. As the name implies, RSDC Wisma Atlet only treats positive patients with COVID-19, there are no patients with other diseases except for the cormobid one.
Third. All doctors, medical personnel, medicines, including nutrition workers, psychology officers and food cooks and medical equipment facilities are all intended to support the healing process for positive COVID-19 patients.
Fourth. All officers, from doctors, nurses, nutritionists, psychologists, even cleaning services have been specially trained to handle positive COVID-19 patients in all situations, including even very serious medical emergencies.
Fifth. All facilities to improve patient immunity are available. Park for exercise and sunbathing is widely available. There is a special floor for sports and sunbathing in each tower. Nutritionist l, psychologist, cooking expert who at all times devotes his/her mind and energy to illness and COVID-19 positive patients.
Sixth. All costs are borne by the state free. All patients, regardless of their background, occupation, social and economic status are treated equally. The quality of food, medicine, and care are all the same according to their respective medical conditions, for example all cormobid patients are treated the same.
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Either because of subjective considerations or objective considerations, of the four options above, the most rational choice for the author is to be treated at RSDC Wisma Atlet Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. Finally, the author, his wife, children and the office agreed that the author was treated at the RSDC Wisma Atlet Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.
Ms. Nunik immediately followed up with coordination with the Head of the Kominfo Primary Clinic, dr. Lutfi. Then coordinate with related parties such as the Puskesmas who will take care of administration and take them to the Wisma Atlet RSDC.
After the author was treated at RSDC Wisma Atlet until the author was declared healed and allowed to do activities as before, the writer received maximum and extraordinary treatment. Not only professional but also very, very human.
The author is very grateful for it. Gratitude is unconsciously very emotional. The gratitude that every remembers brings tears of joy and tears of gratitude to the author’s eyes.
How is the treatment process at RSDC Wisma Athlete which is extraordinary, professional, and humane, God willing, the writer will write it in a separate article.
May be useful.
*) Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Central Information Commission
