INDONESIA: State barely able to handle COVID 19 International support is needed to save people from COVID 19

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-007-2021

 July 21, 2021

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INDONESIA: State barely able to handle COVID 19 International support is needed to save people from COVID 19

ISSUES: Right to health, access to justice, access to information, remedy, international aid, poverty, pandemic COVID 19

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Dear Friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the increasingly uncontrolled COVID-19 cases in Indonesia. The Government was not ready to anticipate the surge of the number of COVID- 19 cases, especially after the virus mutated into the Delta, Alpha and other variants. Meanwhile, hospitals are almost 100% to full capacity. Many patients died because they were not able to get admitted to a hospital. In fact, many Doctors and medical workers have died from COVID- 19. Indonesia is currently entering the emergency phase of COVID-19. The Government is barely making it in the handling and controlling of this virus. The public is increasingly faced with uncertainty and death due to COVID- 19.

CASE NARRATIVE:

Since COVID-19 was announced to have entered Indonesia in March 2020, various policies and programs have been carried out by the Indonesian Government to control the spread of COVID – 19. Many people regret that the Government was late in closing international flights. Even though other countries have banned international flights, Indonesia is still opening flights and tours.

Various policies have been implemented to control COVID-19, including large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), micro-scale public activity restrictions (PPKM Mikro) and the latest being Emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM Emergency). So far, these policies have not yet effectively reduced the number of COVID- 19 cases.

On July 18, 2021, the daily cases that were recorded in Indonesia numbered forty-four thousand seventy hundred twenty one 44,721 new cases. The people who died on one single day, July 18, was one thousand ninety three people 1,093. Not only elderly people died but since the new variant of COVID- 19 entered Indonesia, young people and childen became infected with some attendant deaths.

It was recorded that the latest number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia on July 20, 2021, totaled on a national level as two million nine hundred eleven thousand seven hundred thirty-three 2,911,733 people. Deaths accounted for an additional seventy-four thousand nine hundred twenty 74,920 people. Recovered amounted to two million two hundred ninety three thousand eight hundred seventy-five 2,293,875 people.

Meanwhile, from 1 – 17 July 2021, there were 114 Doctors who died. And a total of more than 20 percent of the 545 total Doctors deaths were from COVID-19. The meaning being- since the Pandemic first hit Indonesia.

The situation worsens when hospitals cannot accommodate people infected by COVID- 19, and they have to self-isolate at home. Due to lack of monitoring, medical checkups and poor oxygen saturation at home, many of them died. This situation is exacerbated by the difficulty of obtaining oxygen cylinders and refilling oxygen cylinders due to the high demand and the high spread of the corona virus.

The situation became increasingly more difficult when many people became stressed out due to jobs lost, businesses lost and income lost. In the meantime, it is problematic for them to find other business opportunities due to the prohibition on mobility during the PPKM Emergency.

This situation is seen to contribute to the decline of bodily immunity and contributes to the increasing number of people who become infected with COVID 19. So far, the Government has set up several social aid and safety programs for people affected with COVID 19. They include areas such as social assistance, food assistance through nine basic needs, mask aid distribution and spraying disinfectant in public places. But these efforts have NOT brought a significant impact in reducing the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

In Indonesia until 10 July 2021, as many as 36,193,076 thirty six million one hundred ninety three seventy six people have received the first dose of vaccine and as many as 14, 969, 330 fourteen million nine hundred sixty nine thousand three hundred and thirty people have received a second dose of vaccine.

At the beginning of the implementation of the vaccine, priority was given to Doctors, health workers, public servants, Police, Military and other Government officials who work in the public sectors. The second priority of vaccine was given to the elderly and then to the public-at-large. However, despite the fact some have received two doses of vaccine, some Doctors and medical workers have become infected with COVID- 19 and died.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Authorities listed below. Request the following action. Ask the Government to ensure that they announce that Indonesia is facing an emergency situation due to the high number of COVID 19 cases in the country. In addition, the Government has hardly provided proper health access facilities to the people infected with COVID 19. Furthermore, the Government of Indonesia must call for the international community, international organizations and the United Nations relevant bodies, to assist Indonesia in handling COVID 19 and to save the people.

The Government also needs to provide clear, transparent information regarding the total number of COVID- 19 cases in Indonesia. It must also be able to conduct massive, sample tests to avoid large transmission of the virus. And faster vaccination of all citizens, without exception, will most certainly develop herd immunity. A most desirable outcome.

Lastly, the Government must also make certain that the poor, unemployed, indigenous people, children and women and other vulnerable groups can easily access health and social aid facilities.

The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right of Everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health available.

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