Indonesian body seeks hospital pneumonia data over Covid-19 fears

An Indonesian health officials takes temperature readings of arriving passengers amid concerns of the Covid-19 coronavirus at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Feb 23. - AFP

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/ANN): The Indonesian Health Ministry disease control and prevention directorate general has requested ministry-run hospitals provide it with data regarding cases of pneumonia and other respiratory diseases over concerns that cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus remain undetected in the country.

In a copy of the letter seen by The Jakarta Post, which is dated Feb 26, director-general Anung Sugihantono requested “vertical” hospitals -- those run by the Health Ministry -- to send data about the number of acute respiratory infection (ISPA) and pneumonia cases between Dec 1,2019 and Feb 25.