Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – As many as 647 medical workers in Indonesia have died due to COVID-19 from March 2020 to January 27, 2021, the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) said on Thursday (Jan. 28).

Of the 647 medical workers, 289 were doctors, 27 dentists, 221 nurses, 84 midwives, 11 pharmacists, 15 medical laboratory staff members.

The 289 doctors consist of 161 general practitioners, 123 specialists, and five residents.

Head of the association’s mitigation team Adib Khumaidi said the small number of COVID-19 diagnostic tests had caused insufficient handling of the pandemic and many medical workers were exposed to the virus.

“The number of tests in Indonesia now is less than five percent of the total population,” Adib noted.

The province with the highest number of medical worker deaths is East Java, namely 188, consisting of 56 doctors, six dentists, 89 nurses, four medical laboratory personnel, and 33 midwives, followed by Jakarta (90), West Java (84), and Central Java (75).

In Jakarta, the corona virus killed 43 doctors, 10 dentists, 25 nurses, two pharmacists, three medical lab staff members, and seven midwives.

Meanwhile, in West Java, medical workers who became martyrs were 33 doctors, four dentists, 27 nurses, six pharmacists, one medical lab staff member, and 13 midwives.

In Central Java, the COVID-19 killed 41 doctors, two dentists, 27 nurses, three medical lab staff members, and two midwives.

Reporting by Indonesia Window