Dengue cases up, PMI urges people to give blood<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As the current dengue fever outbreak is predicted to continue for
\nthe next three months, people who intend to donate blood are
\nbeing asked to leave their phone numbers with the Indonesian Red
\nCross (PMI) offices to anticipate a possible shortage of blood.<\/p>\n
"We need not only impulsive donors, but also people who can be
\nreached anytime we need their particular type of blood," PMI
\nchairman Mar'ie Muhammad said on Sunday after visiting several
\nhospitals in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He explained that dengue patients may need blood transfusions
\ndue to the drop in their thrombocyte or blood platelet levels.
\nHowever, he added, that the blood used for dengue patients can
\nonly last for three days so an abundant supply would not be the
\nsolution.<\/p>\n
Spokesperson for PMI Jakarta, Ria Thahir, said that her office
\nlacked certain types of blood.<\/p>\n
She said that on normal days, the demand for blood at her
\noffice reached only an average of 10 packs per day, but during
\nthe outbreak it reached 16 to 17 packs.<\/p>\n
"Blood demand has risen by 70 percent every day. We have run
\nout of several types of blood in the last few weeks. For example,
\ntoday we have no type A blood, and only have five packs each for
\ntype B and type AB blood, plus we have 20 packs of type 0 blood,"
\nRia said.<\/p>\n
The central government has announced an extraordinary
\noccurrence of dengue fever in 12 provinces affected by the dengue
\noutbreak and allocated Rp 500 million (US$54,600) in cash and
\nmedicine for each of the local administrations.<\/p>\n
As of Sunday, at least 1,952 people in Jakarta had contracted
\ndengue since the beginning of the year, including 18 people who
\nhave died. Two days earlier, the figure was 1,780.<\/p>\n
However, the number of fatalities is half that of the same
\nperiod last year, when over 80 people died.<\/p>\n
In Bekasi, the latest figure was 188, including five deaths.
\nIn January, only 20 people were treated for dengue fever.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration expressed concern that Bekasi, a
\npart of West Java provincial administration that borders the
\ncapital, should be put on the list of areas with an extraordinary
\noccurrence of dengue.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Health recorded that at least 5,500 people
\nacross the country have contracted dengue with over 120 deaths
\nsince January.<\/p>\n
Data from several regions shows an increasing number of
\npatients.<\/p>\n
Dengue fever was first recorded in 1968 in Surabaya and
\nJakarta, when it killed 24 people.<\/p>\n
Dengue fever outbreaks have shown a rising trend between 1999
\nand 2004, with the most virulent DEN-3 serotype blamed for the
\nmajor outbreak in the first six months of last year, during which
\n59,321 cases and 669 deaths were recorded in 24 out of 32
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
Interested blood donors in Greater Jakarta can call (021)
\n3906666 or 3908422 to leave their contact numbers, or come
\ndirectly to the PMI Jakarta office in Jl. Kramat Raya 47, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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