The Executive Board of the Indonesian Medical Association (PB IDI) is intensifying cross-regional coordination to detect monkeypox cases in Indonesia, as one positive case was recently found in Jakarta.
“We ask the medical team and healthcare workers to remain vigilant and immediately report to local health offices if there is a patient with symptoms similar to monkeypox, thus they can be immediately treated,” Chairperson of PB IDI Adib Khumaidi said in a statement here on Sunday.
His party will continue to coordinate with the Health Ministry, health offices in all regions, as well as IDI’s regional and branch associations to increase surveillance regarding the disease. He also appealed to the public to remain calm but stay alert to the findings of the first case of monkeypox in Indonesia.
The head of the Task Force for Monkeypox or Clades of PB IDI, Dr. Hanny Nilasari, has noted that although there has been a number of relaxations of health protocols in various places, the community still have to maintain strict health protocols. In addition, she said that the public should participate more actively in implementing a clean and healthy lifestyle (PHBS).
“Those who suffer from (monkeypox) symptoms should immediately go to the nearest doctors,” she added.
On Saturday (August 20), Spokesperson for the Health Ministry Mohammad Syahril announced the first confirmed case of monkeypox in Indonesia. The patient is a 27-year-old man from Jakarta who has travelled abroad recently.
He informed that the patient only had mild symptoms and did not need to be treated in an isolation room in hospital, thus the patient conducted self-isolation at home. Furthermore, his party and the Jakarta Provincial Health Office have carried out tracing tests to a number of people who have a close contact with the patient.
The Health Ministry informs that so far, there have been 23 suspected monkeypox cases which have been analyzed. Out of the number, 22 people were tested negative for monkeypox through PCR test.
Source: Antara News