Covid-19 is still increasing in Indonesia. The government in Pekalongan, where the Sisters of Notre Dame
live, establishes and enforces all health services in public and private hospitals. The regional government authorized our Budi Rahayu General Hospital to receive Covid-19 patients. On June 23, 2021, Budi Rahayu Hospital received the permit from the local government to create an eight-bed isolation room, named St. Camillus.
In a matter of days, the Covid-19 patients increased beyond the available capacity. On July 11, 2021, the foundation and hospital directors determined that, temporarily, they could not accept additional Covid-19 patients because of an insufficient oxygen supply.
All our sisters working in the hospital needed to take precautions to keep themselves and the rest of the SND community from the virus. One of our sisters contracted Covid and needed to be hospitalized. She was in isolation for approximately fourteen days. All the patients in the isolation room are monitored directly via CCTV.
Currently, it is difficult to predict when the Covid-19 pandemic will end in Indonesia due to the increase in confirmed positive Covid cases. The government has made various efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, including implementing large-scale lockdown and free vaccine services. The vaccine is not 100% accepted by society for multiple reasons. Some people do not believe in the effectiveness of the vaccine, and some are afraid because of the fake news that the vaccine can cause death. Nevertheless, we hope this pandemic will pass quickly, and those whom Covid-19 has infected can recover soon and regain their strength.
May the good God protect us all. Soli Deo.
by Dreamhost