Indonesian nurse suspended for removing PPE to have sex with Covid patient in hospital

Incident came to light after patient boasted about it, with photographs, on Twitter

File image: Over the last month there has been a large spike in Covid-19 cases in Indonesia  (AP)

A nurse in Indonesia has been suspended for removing his personal protective equipment to have sex with a Covid-19 patient in the hospital.  

The incident came to light after a Twitter account (@bottialter) uploaded a picture that showed a heap of PPE lying on the floor of a room, purportedly inside the Wisma Atlet hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia.  

The user had also posted a screenshot that he claimed to be a conversation he had with a male nurse, where they are discussing where and when to meet in the hospital.  

Another user, Fariedh Abdillah, quoted these tweets and asked authorities to investigate the case. After Mr Abdillah’s tweet went viral, the owner of the original account set it to private.  

According to local media reports, legal action has now been initiated against both the patient and the nurse after they admitted being involved.

Lieutenant Colonel Arh Herwin of the regional military command in Jakarta noted that the nurse has tested negative for Covid-19 while the patient is still positive, reported the Indonesia Expat.

The management of the hospital has also decided to evaluate their recruitment process so that there is no repeat of such a case.  

According to a report by VOI, an Indonesian news outlet, Mr Herwin said they will also “improve the standard operating procedures”, monitoring activities at the hospital and the general health services provided.

Asep Gunawan of Indonesia’s National Nurses Association confirmed the case and said a legal process should be followed, while appreciating the hospital’s management for taking the case to the law.

Indonesia has recorded over 735,000 cases of Covid-19 including 21,944 deaths since the start of the pandemic.