Indonesia passes grim milestone of 100,000 coronavirus deaths

Gulf Today Report

Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, has recorded a grim milestone of more than 100,000 deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday.

Data from the country’s health ministry showed, with the Southeast Asian nation recently accounting for one in five fatalities globally, more than 3.5 million COVID-19 cases since March 2020.

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July was its deadliest month since the pandemic began, with more than 30,100 deaths — more than triple the 7,914 reported in June. Its current per capita death rate is one of the worst in the region, second only to Myanmar.

Workers prepare a coffin for burial in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday. AP

Indonesia has been battling a tide of coronavirus infections and deaths driven by the highly contagious Delta variant for the past month, as the country has quickly become Asia's coronavirus epicentre.

On Wednesday, the data showed Indonesia's total number of infections had reached 3.53 million, while deaths rose by 1,747 to 100,636, although public health experts believe the true toll is likely far higher.

"Indonesia needs a comprehensive audit of COVID deaths," said Defriman Djafri, an epidemiologist at Andalas University in Padang, West Sumatra, citing a sub-optimal healthcare response.

Since the beginning of June, more than 2,800 people have died during self-isolation at home, according to LaporCOVID-19, an independent virus data group that keeps track of deaths at home. Some of those deaths are reflected in official figures but others are not, he said.

Family members mourn during a burial in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday. AP

"They were rejected by the hospitals, so they went back home and did the self-isolation at home with limited access to medicine, no oxygen and no monitoring from doctors until they died,” said Ahmad Arif, one of the LaporCOVID-19 founders.

WHO says hospitals are in need of isolation rooms, oxygen supplies, medical and personal protective equipment, as well as mobile field hospitals and body bags.

Delays in hospital treatment that could have caused preventable COVID-19 deaths and the rate of co-morbidity should be investigated, he added.

Indonesia's coroanvirus toll was about 50,000 at the end of May, meaning that deaths have doubled since then.