Doctor Riyo Pungki Irawan (24) is worried about the increased Covid-19 cases in the country. Meanwhile, hospitals can no longer provide care for all patients. Many have to undergo self-isolation with various limitations in treatment and care at home.
This condition encourages alumni of the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FKKM) UGM and doctor in the Perinatology Division of the Department of Pediatrics at RSUP. Dr. Sardjito opens free online medical consultation services. Consultation services are designed specifically for self-isolating Covid-19 patients.
He revealed that the idea of opening a free online consultation service started with many of his friends who were infected with Covid-19 and undergoing self-isolation at home. Meanwhile, when undergoing self-isolation, hospitals and health workers are not closely monitored because of the increasing number of cases. On the other hand, he also saw that recently some Covid-19 patients died at home during self-isolation.
“From there, I think I can spend 1-2 hours outside of practice hours at the hospital to help,” he explained when contacted on Thursday (15/7).
Starting 7 July 2021, Riyo has decided to open a free online consultation service. Before practicing at the hospital, he served people who wanted to consult via WhatsApp every Monday-Thursday starting at 07.00-08.00 WIB. Every day he is in charge at the hospital at 08.00-16.00 WIB.
Since offering this consultation service through his Twitter account @doctoriyo, many self-isolating patients have consulted. He also admitted to feeling overwhelmed by the number of incoming consultations.
“I started to open a free consultation service on 7 July. During those 24 hours until 8 July, around 800 chats were coming in for consultations,” he said.
He also asked for other young doctors’ help to provide free online consultation services for self-isolating patients. Currently, he works with 30 doctors from various hospitals in Indonesia, including Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bangka, Batam, Medan, and others.
“Consultation is not only via WA but also via Telegram. Because it’s voluntary, I give doctors the freedom to use any platform. Likewise, the days and hours of free consultations are adjusted to the conditions of each doctor,” he explained.
Currently, Riyo receives about 100 consultation chats every day. The consultations that come in mostly ask questions related to treatment therapy, when the vaccine will return, repeating PCR, and others. Even though we only offer medical consultation services, at night there are sometimes people who ask for treatment or oxygen supply.
“We do not serve emergency telemedicine, but only help provide medical consultations,” he explained.
He again emphasized that the services provided are only in the form of medical consultation, no self-isolation package services, drug supply, oxygen, or ambulance services. In addition, he also does not give a prescription but recommends drugs that may and should not be consumed.
“The fact is that many self-isolating patients during consultations have taken their own medicine without a doctor’s supervision. It’s good to always consult what drugs to consume with the doctor,” he explained.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/21384-bantu-pasien-covid-19-isoman-dr-riyo-buka-jasa-konsultasi-gratis
