‘Suddenly, gone’: Crying in the mud in COVID that hit Indonesia | News in Indonesia

Jakarta / Kudus, Indonesia – It must have been a time to celebrate the Puji Apriani family – she was pregnant with her second child, just weeks before she was born.

But instead of accepting a new life, her family is now in dire straits.

“I miss her. She was healthy, her stomach was normal. And all of a sudden, he’s gone, ”said his younger brother Ery Jurniastuti.

The family lives in Kudus, Central Java – one of the areas most affected by Indonesia’s recent increase in COVID-19 cases.

“She felt sick, and she was coughing. She also had a stomach ache, too, “Ery said.

At the home of about 900,000 people, Kudus recorded a 7,594% increase in cases since the beginning of this year.

Following an increase in cases this month, emergency hospitals have been forced to evict patients.

Rejected by two hospitals, Puji was welcomed, and his breath was slightly increased.

But it was too late. Her condition worsened, and she died in the hospital.

“She died first, then examined the child’s heart. While the baby was still inside, he was not released. She died instantly. ”

Doctors vs Delta

At Loekmono Hadi General Hospital in Kudus, Dr Abdul Aziz Achyar said he was “surprised” by the severity of the operation, which forced the number of hospital stays above 90%.

“During Ramadan, there was silence. We had only 18 patients. But when it started … I was also hospitalized, ”he told Al Jazeera.

One hundred and eighty friends also contracted the virus, and two of them died.

Indonesia’s decline in diversity is small, but doctors believe that the current spread of Kudus is due to the spread of the Delta species, which were first discovered in India.

“We have sent cases from the hospital [for genome sequencing]… Of the 72 models, 62 were new, “said Dr Abdul.

At Aisyiyah Kudus Hospital, Dr Najib Budhiwardoyo said his hospital is fully operational.

“We are full of COVID patients. The second wave started Eid, ”he said.

“All hospitals in Kudus are experiencing this problem… shortness of breath. We have to choose; we can only use air for very low-lying patients.”

The dam turns into a tomb

Not only Java hospitals are close to power, but cemeteries as well.

In the Indonesian capital, COVID-19 cemeteries, such as the Pondok Rangon Cemetery, which opened in the early months of the epidemic, have already filled up.

Grave staff told Al Jazeera that they were struggling to do their job well.

“Before COVID, I dug 10 graves every day. But yesterday, we dug 46 graves. Yesterday, they were 51, “said Darsiman, a 20-year-old graveyard writer.

“We are very tired. We work from early in the morning until late at night. ”

Darsiman, a 20-year-old graveyard waiter for Wahyudin to finish writing on his head [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

In Rorotan, North Jakarta, a new burial ground for those who died of COVID-19 was opened a few weeks ago – and in the past, more than 800 people have been placed there.

As the number grows, finding a mortuary in a densely populated city becomes increasingly difficult.

The place in Rorotan was once an empty swamp – the families of the dead needed to walk in the mud, paying homage to their loved ones.

“This is a new cemetery ena some places are full. There are a lot of cases of COVID, so they have to bring it here, ”said Darsiman.

“It’s been raining and muddy. It is sad to see a funeral here, even though ambulances are starting to want to enter. ”

Stylist Wahyudin said his work had increased as a result of the epidemic – and working at the cemetery had a profound effect on the heart.

“I am very sad to see so many funerals. “When I see these families crying, I think of my family,” he said.

“Before COVID, I also made headgear but it is busy now. Many, many people have died. ”

Rest time is limited – just as workers unload a plastic box on the floor, more ambulances arrive, some die to bury them.

‘India should be our lesson’

This week, Indonesia exceeded 2 million cervical coronaviruses – and more than 55,000 confirmed death.

Dr Nadia Siti, head of Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Health, said the rise in cases was not surprising.

“We know that if there is a holiday or event, there are more and more people moving and traveling from other cities,” he said.

The Rorotan cemetery was built on a former wetland north of Jakarta [Fakhrur Roz/Al Jazeera]

Rorotan cemetery was reopened for several weeks and more than 800 people have already been laid to rest. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

“The government has banned mudik, which is an Islamic ritual [during Eid Al Fitr]. However, four or six million people traveled. ”

The situation in Kudus and the capital is a major concern for the Ministry of Health, where accommodation is high and hospital staff are already exhausted.

“In Jakarta, bedridden people make up about 80 to 90%. We are advising hospitals to convert their beds to COVID-19s, so that they can be available to patients, ”he said.

“The final step is to establish hospitals in collaboration with the military or the police.”

Long before the epidemic, there were no medical professionals in Indonesia – and there are concerns about how its health care system will work if the disease is expected to grow in July.

“With doctors, doctors and nurses, it may not be enough. We can look for five or ten new, experienced doctors who do not have the skills to care for patients,” said Dr Nadia.

“We hope we do not meet again in India. What happened in India should be our lesson.”