What to do if you suspect you have COVID-19 in Indonesia?

Although the world is bracing itself for the coronavirus, does not mean that you should be be in a state of panic. Instead, take it one step at a time in Indonesia particularly, there are a few things that you can do to make sure of your state of health.

Here are the few steps that you can do:

1. Call first before you go to the hospital

Before deciding to go to the hospital for a checkup, you need to make sure that you are truly a high-risk individual that meets the criteria for testing. There are many ways you can make sure of it, but one of the primary ways will be to call the COVID-19 Hotline as they will ask you questions. This step is crucial, for going to the hospitals directly may cause overcrowding in hospitals and increase the risks of being infected. If you are eligible for testing, Kementerian Kesehatan will advice on how to proceed.

Hotlines:

119 (ext 9)

021 521 0411

0812 1212 3119

2. OR Get free medical consultation online first

Other than calling the hotline to make sure of your status, you can also get free medical consultation online as well. You can do this by logging on to Indonesia’s online COVID-19 information portal: https://bit.ly/dki-jkt.

During the medical consultation, you will need to go through a questionnaire that will help you to assess your risk, such as whether you have come into contact with anyone who has been infected or if you’ve travelled to any COVID-19 hotspots, and the symptoms that you have. This is to make sure that you meet the criteria for testing. If you are eligible for testing, call the hotline or your nearest primary health center (Puskesmas) and set up an appointment.

*Another option of getting free medical consultation will be through GoJek App, as they have collaborated with Halodoc to provide a chat service for screening. Once you have proven to meet their criteria a verified doctor will provide a reference for you to get tested at the nearest hospital: https://bit.ly/halo-doc

3. Free Testing for those who meet the criteria

Now that you have been proven eligible for testing, you can head over to authorised facilities to get tested. Depending on how the test goes, Kementerian Kesehatan or Ministry of Health will only provide free testing in authorised health facilities if you meet their criteria of testing and/or have been identified for testing.

To find our if you meet the criteria, call the Crisis Hotlines or take the test here: https://bit.ly/dki-jkt

Here’s a list of all the hospitals in Indonesia that currently do screenings: https://bit.ly/indo-hospitals

4. If you want to get tested, even if you are not high-risk….

However if you are not high-risk but still want to get tested, we recommend that you get tested at the nearest clinic (puskesmas). We recommend clinics as hospitals will likely charge more, and will need to diverge their resources to people who are being taken care of for contracting the virus.

Here’s a list of labs and clinics that do screenings and their prices:

1. Microbiology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (LMK FK UI), Jakarta: Starting at Rp 1,500,000
2. Bogor Senior Hospital, Bogor: Starting at Rp 1,500,000
3. RSUP Dr. Sardjito, Yogyakarta: Starting at Rp 500,000
4. Sari Asih Hospital Ciputat, Tangerang: Starting at Rp 2,995,000
5. Sainoel Abidin Regional Hospital, Banda Aceh: Starting at Rp 2,000,000

5. Self-Quarantine yourself if you are living with somebody with symptoms

If you are living with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19, then it would be better to stay at home. Self-quarantine for you and your loved ones will help just in case your loved one also gets this virus. Staying in for 14 days will be the right thing to do, for symptoms will develop in two weeks.

6. List of COVID-19 screening hospitals

Not just any hospital is equipped screen and face COVID-19 patients, so there are only a number of hospitals you can go to: https://bit.ly/indo-hospitals

7. Medical costs for Indonesians and foreigners

Those who are infected with COVID-19 or who have been in contact with patients are exempted from outpatient fees at government facilities. Fees include registration, examination, treatment and hospitalisation fees. However, if your test results are negative or you do not show any signs of contracting the virus, then you are requested to pay the outpatient fee and other related charges (ranging from Rp 250,000 – Rp 700,000 depending on the hospital).

You don’t need to panic if you are showing signs of having COVID-19, as it may be a false alarm. Take these steps above so you won’t be panicking and faltering while testing yourself for the virus.