Aceh needs more medicine, not foreign doctors: Aid official<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Tsunami-stricken areas in Indonesia were in need of more medical
\nsupplies rather than additional medical workers due to the
\ndeclining number of patients and the already excessive number of
\nmedical workers, a senior aid official said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Gunawan, deputy head of the Indonesian Red Cross, said that
\nthe number of medical workers in Aceh and North Sumatra had
\nsurpassed needs and that no additional medical workers,
\nespecially from foreign countries, were needed.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, we can reduce the number of medical workers
\nespecially as the number of patients visiting field hospitals and
\nhealth posts is falling anyway. It will be more useful if aid
\ncomes more in the form of medical equipment and medicine
\ninstead,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
The Aceh health agency estimates that there are more than
\n10,000 local and international medical workers currently working
\nin the province, which was pulverized last month by a 9.0-
\nmagnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that claimed more
\nthan 200,000 lives.<\/p>\n
Approximately 400,000 others are now living in makeshift
\ntents, leaving them highly vulnerable to communicable diseases.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, the types of diseases that we are facing at the
\nmoment are more common illnesses rather than those specifically
\nrelated to the tsunami,\" Gunawan argued.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, he added, differences in language and culture
\nconstrained foreign doctors and nurses, making their assistance
\nin the massive relief effort less than optimal.<\/p>\n
World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman Bob Dietz told AFP
\nthat he did \"not necessarily agree\" with Gunawan's assessment.<\/p>\n
Dietz said \"we are struggling to keep up with the generosity
\nof the rest of the world\" in terms of providing medical supplies,
\nequipment and personnel to the provinces of Aceh and North
\nSumatra.<\/p>\n
WHO deputy director-general Jack Chow said last week that
\nwhile Aceh seemed to have escaped post-tsunami epidemics,
\n\"there's still a critical need for primary health care, water,
\ndoctors and nurses\".<\/p>\n
He argued that the heavy wet season in the country meant that
\ndiseases like malaria and dengue become more prevalent.<\/p>\n
\"We have to remain vigilant. I think we are fortunate that we
\nhaven't had this spike of communicable illnesses. We can't let
\nour foot off the accelerator.\"<\/p>\n
Chow said the relief effort was now \"somewhere between\" the
\nemergency phase and the rebuilding phase, and that the health
\nauthorities needed to install the \"building blocks of clean water
\nand sanitation\" to safeguard displaced people.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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