UNAIR NEWS – The increasing confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia require a large number of medical workers. Therefore, approximately 1600 Medical Specialist Education Participants (PPDS), Faculty of Medicine (FK) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) were also deployed to treat COVID-19 patients.
For their contribution, the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) gave an incentive fund of 75 million for each doctor and it given directly by the Minister of Health (Menkes) Terawan Agus Putranto on Saturday, August 29, 2020. Prof. Dr. Soetojo, dr., SP.U., as the Dean of FK UNAIR, said that the incentive are given every six months and will be sent directly to the bank account of each PPDS doctor.
“Incentive funds will be given every six months and the government will send the funds directly to the account of each PPDS doctor,” he said.
Prof. Soetojo appreciated the assistance provided by the government. According to him, this assistance is a form of the government’s concern and attention to the frontline medical workers who have provided services to COVID-19 patients.
“This (incentive, ed) shows the government’s concern for all PPDS doctors so they remain enthusiastic in dealing with COVID-19,” he added.
Furthermore, Prof. Soetojo expressed that the government’s concern, especially the Ministry of Health, was motivated by the experience of Minister of Health Terawan, who had been a PPDS doctor during his education at FK UNAIR.
“He (Menkes Terawan, ed) is an alumnus of FK UNAIR majoring in radiology, of course he understands how it feels to be a PPDS doctor,” he said.
As of today, 90 UNAIR PPDS doctors have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 and two PPDS doctors have died from the virus. Prof. Soetojo hopes that the death rate for PPDS doctors due to COVID-19 will not increase.
“Two PPDS doctors have died due to COVID-19, hopefully they’re the last,” he hoped.
Regarding the condition of other PPDS doctors, Prof. Soetojo said that they are still struggling and enthusiastic in providing services to COVID-19 patients. “They (PPDS doctors, ed) remain enthusiastic in handling COVID-19 patients, because they intend to serve the community according to their role as doctors,” he concluded. (*)
Author: Dita Aulia Rahma
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
