Indonesia reports record number of doctor deaths from COVID-19

JAKARTA, July 18 (Reuters)-Deaths of doctors from COVID-19 in Indonesia rose sharply in the first half of July, according to the profession’s association, as the Delta variant of the coronavirus fuelled a surge in infections across the country.

A total of 114 doctors died during July 1-17, the highest number reported for any period of similar length and more than 20% of the 545 total doctor deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, officials from Indonesia’s doctors association (IDI) said during a virtual news conference.

Mahesa Paranadipa, a senior IDI official, said the association was concerned that the medical system may not be able to cope, according to a recording of the event.

“We are worried about the potential of a functional collapse,” Paranadipa. “This is the reported data, not yet data that may not have been reported to us.”

Fuelled by the spread of the more virulent Delta variant, Indonesia has reported more new coronavirus cases than any country in the world in recent days, data from the latest seven-day average from a Reuters tracker showed. It was second only to Brazil in terms of the number of deaths.