The Bekasi General Hospital in Bekasi City, West Java was forced to treat patients in tents this morning, as patients kept coming despite the facility having reached its emergency unit capacity.
A video capturing the grim situation circulated widely today, showing patients lying on a sheet on the ground of a parking area and others being observed at the back of an open truck, as well as scenes from an inundated emergency unit that has been expanded using triage tents.
Kusnanto Saidi, president director at Bekasi General Hospital, said that the hospital's ICU capacity is only 30 beds. Kusnanto told local media outlets earlier today that they are currently treating 40 patients.
The triage tents are being utilized to confirm patients' COVID-19 status, he said, while confirming that there has been a spike in patients at his hospital. According to Kusnanto, the 365 beds that have been prepared for coronavirus patients are all occupied.
In an Instagram post uploaded around 2pm today, the hospital said they are adding more beds, for both screening and inpatient treatment, as well as converting one floor of one of their buildings to accommodate COVID-19 patients.
Indonesia is amid a worrying surge in coronavirus cases, reporting its highest daily caseload to date – at 20,574 cases – just yesterday, after having passed the 2 million mark in total on Monday.