You and your family might be in good health, but in general, everyone needs some medical input at some point in time. COVID-19 has certainly created a lot of uncertainty.
I think it is essential that you at least identify a clinic that you are comfortable with. Look for a group of medical professionals who you can turn to, with any concerns. I would like to share some information to make life a bit easier.
Besides COVID-19, there are common health problems for expats living in Jakarta. There are three things to expect when you are living in Jakarta; infectious diseases, non-infectious diseases and accidents/injuries. Infectious diseases, like food borne, air borne, or even body fluid transmitted diseases are common in Indonesia. Non-infectious diseases, or chronic diseases are sometimes unavoidable depending on your risk
profile. Accidents and injuries can happen anywhere.
What to do when you are sick
Feeling unwell can be a challenge. The first advice would be to seek an opinion if you are unsure about your condition. You may use Dr Google, talk to a friend or even a medical professional you know personally. If possible, visit or call a clinic that you are comfortable with. In an ideal world, you should have an assessment by a trusted medical practitioner (this can even be a telephone consultation). Your medical practitioner will give a possible diagnosis. A management plan needs to be mutually agreed upon. You need to voice your expectations and ask for possible options (Are you expecting a referral?).
Preventive actions
To avoid diseases from happening, you need to know how to manage avoidable risks. For infectious diseases, there are lots of vaccinations available to protect you. This includes vaccinations against COVID-19. Testing for COVID-19, is important if you have symptoms that might indicate a COVID-19 infection. In those circumstances, an Antigen test may suffice. If you had close contact with a person with COVID-19 it is recommended to test yourself with a PCR test 5 days after your contact, if you are still without any symptoms. Consider a FLU and Pneumococcal vaccine, as this will reduce your chances of getting infected with COVID-19, especially in vulnerable iFood prepared under unclear circumstances, tap water, and
mosquitoes should be avoided. Identify a clinic that you are comfortable with! You can discuss your own risk profile with your trusted physician.
In a tropical country like Indonesia, there are a lot of infectious diseases, besides COVID-19. Infectious diseases can be spread by water or by food such as traveler’s diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever and amoebic dysentery. Insect bites can also spread diseases like malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis and Chikungunya. Tuberculosis is spread through coughing and sneezing. Body fluid transmitted diseases
like STIs, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B & C are also common in Indonesia. There are possibilities of getting Rabies if you are exposed to certain animals. Most of these can be prevented by getting vaccinated.
Chronic disease management
If you are suffering from a chronic disease, we advise you to have a list of your regular medication. You should identify a doctor who can regularly check up on your condition and someone who can advise which (specialist) doctor you should see. Your family doctor can facilitate communication with your specialist. Monitoring your condition on behalf of the specialist can also be done by a good family physician.
New developments
Good Practice is expanding. We hired new English speaking staff. This means extra capacity to do house calls, office visits and tele-consultations. We have built additional consultation rooms and employed a UK trained psychologist. GOOD PRACTICE is now also the Medical retainer clinic for the ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, ADB.
It is important that you identify a clinic that you are comfortable with.