IN FOCUS: Hospital beds, oxygen in short supply as Indonesia wages fierce battle against COVID-19

Despite emergency curbs being implemented, hospital beds are lacking and many COVID-19 patients in Indonesia have reportedly been denied treatment, forcing them to self-isolate at home. Experts are concerned that there may be long lasting damage as the pandemic drags on.

Sociology Associate Professor at NTU Sulfikar Amir said the problem is that Indonesia does not have a permanent mitigation framework for the pandemic. “So they just come up with new terms, whenever they have a new situation,” he said. “I am not blaming the government, but in this kind of situation, only the government has the resources, the authority to do everything that we need.”

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