City finally starting health program for flood ailments<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It took three fatalities from 287 patients suffering from
\ndengue before the Jakarta Administration finally decided to set
\nup a health program to alert local residents to the disease after
\nthe three-week-long floods.<\/p>\n
The program , officially inaugurated by Governor Sutiyoso in
\nceremony at the National Monument (Monas) on Saturday, includes
\nthe use of pesticides to kill Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae,
\nwhich carry the dengue arbovirus, that are breeding rapidly in
\nnearby reservoirs.<\/p>\n
\"We must inform the city's residents of the program, so that
\nthey won't refuse it,\" the head of the City Health Agency, Abdul
\nCholik Masulili told The Jakarta Post about the delay.<\/p>\n
He also refused the accusation that the administration had
\nbeen pitifully slow to respond to preventing water-borne diseases
\nafter the floods.<\/p>\n
\"Conducting a public campaign is not an easy task,\" Masulili
\nsaid, adding that the health program was aimed at encouraging
\nresidents to maintain a high level of hygiene in their
\nneighborhoods.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is prone to dengue. Each year, hundreds of residents
\nfall sick from the disease. During a dengue outbreak in 1998,
\nover 15,000 people fell ill and more than 300 died and this year
\na serious outbreak is likely because floods have created numerous
\nbreeding grounds for the mosquito.<\/p>\n
Masulili renewed calls on residents to prevent the disease by
\nscrupulously scrubbing household water tanks, buckets and keeping
\ntheir lids tightly closed, as well as burying old cans.<\/p>\n
The administration will also deploy over 9,000 medical
\nofficers for the free-of-charge health operation in 149
\nsubdistricts around the city. The officers will manage the public
\ncampaign against the disease.<\/p>\n
Masulili said the officers' tasks are to pour chlorine and
\ndisinfectant and give the oral rehydration medicine oralit to
\nflood victims in a bid to curb the spread of diarrhea. Diarrhea
\nhas claimed the lives of over 20 people, mostly toddlers, among
\nover 2,300 suffering from flood-related ailments since Jan. 28.<\/p>\n
The agency is providing 3,000 kilograms of chlorine, 27,000
\nliters of disinfectant, 70,000 sachets of oralit and 1,625 abate,
\nthe pesticide to kill mosquito larvae.<\/p>\n
In another development, several flood-monitoring posts
\norganized by non-governmental organizations and students from
\nJakarta State University (UNG), reported that a number of
\ncommunity health centers in North Jakarta and East Jakarta were
\ncharging people, suffering from flood-related illnesses, Rp
\n10,000 each.<\/p>\n
Farid R. Faqih, coordinator of a flood post, expected the
\nagency to instruct community health centers and privately run
\nhospitals to provide free medical treatment for flood victims.<\/p>\n
He also said that flood victims should be treated free of
\ncharge without having to present certain documents declaring that
\nthey are flood victims, as required by the health centers and
\nhospitals.<\/p>\n
\"Please report them to us along with the receipt so I can take
\neffective action,\" he said, adding that people could contact the
\nagency on Jl. Kesehatan 1 in Central Jakarta, or phone 381-3217.
\nPeople can also contact him on his mobile phone, 0812-9087118.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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