Health Worker Shares His Struggle in Treating COVID-19 Patients and Fighting His Anxiety

Since the appearance of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in several countries including Indonesia, health workers have been at the forefront to treat the disease.

I've to admit that treating COVID-19 patients is really tiring. Especially the fear of contracting the disease

The rapid transmission and spread, makes COVID-19 becomes a problem for health workers. It means, they need to extremely careful in treating the patients or this disease can threaten the safety of their life, family, and colleagues.

One of the health workers who is struggling to treat the COVID-19 patients is Andika Chandra Putra (43), a pulmonary specialist doctor at the Central Public Hospital (RSUP) Persahabatan, East Jakarta, as well as the father of three children.

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"When we are handling COVID-19 patients, we should be extra clean, like, we can take shower and change clothes up to five times a day. It is important to safe ourselves, our families, and those who around us," he expressed, Friday (4/17).

He continued, he and his colleagues didn't have time to go home for two weeks because they had to handle dozens of ship crews of Diamond Princess Cruise who were quarantined in Sebaru Kecil Island, Thousand Islands some time ago. He must endure the longing to meet his family because he needs to complete the task first.

"I've to admit that treating COVID-19 patients is really tiring. Especially the fear of contracting the disease. But, we try to be calm while asking for forgiveness from Allah SWT, so that everything goes well," said the man who graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra.

He admitted that every day, at least he can handle up to 100 COVID-19 patients at RSUP Persahabatan. He feels so grateful because the need of personnel protective equipment (APD) for health workers in RSUP Persahabatan can be fulfilled. He and his colleagues hopes COVID-29 pandemic to end as soon as possible.

He always reminds public to comply with instructions and regulations issued by central and regional governments in order to handle COVID-19. Because it is important for the interest of the wider community.

"Coronavirus is a virus that is not visible but can be transmitted to anyone and it is deadly. Therefore it needs cooperation from all sides to stop the COVID-19 pandemic," said Andika, who began his career as a doctor in 2003 at M. Djamil Hospital, Padang, West Sumatera.

Most importantly, he wants people not to underestimate how fast this virus can spread to the others.