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Bloomberg
Doctors are accounting for a large proportion of deaths from Covid-19 in the Philippines and Indonesia, two of the most medically under-served nations in Southeast Asia.
At least 26 doctors have died in Indonesia out of the country’s toll of 240 while in the Philippines about a dozen have passed away among the 182 fatalities, according to the latest government data. Total infections range from 3,000 to 4,000 in each country.
The high mortality of medical practitioners in the region’s two most populous countries shows the challenge they face combating the pandemic with testing and health-care systems lagging neighbours such as Singapore. The Philippines, which has locked down its main island of 60 million people since mid-March, had warned it may see 75,000 infections by June if no interventions were made. Indonesia expects cases to peak at 95,000 next month.