Diarrhea incidence surges after holidays<\/p>\n
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar<\/p>\n
Dozens of people, mostly children, have died over the recent Idul
\nFitri holidays across the country after suffering from serious
\ndiarrhea.<\/p>\n
Health officials announced on Saturday that at least 11
\nchildren died due to complications from severe diarrhea in the
\npast two days in South Sulawesi, while in Surabaya, the second
\nlargest city in the country, 10 children under five had died
\nsince the beginning of this month.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Solok, West Sumatra, four people had died and
\n263 others were hospitalized from Nov. 8 to 18, prompting the
\nMinistry of Health to place the regency under in a state of
\nhealth emergency.<\/p>\n
South Sulawesi health agency deputy head Dr. Muhadir admitted
\nthat the number of patients with severe diarrhea had increased up
\nto three times from the same period last year.<\/p>\n
However, the local administration has yet to consider it a
\nfull-fledged outbreak.<\/p>\n
\"We have deployed officers to supervise the treatment of
\ndiarrhea patients here,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Makassar health agency head Armin Nurdin said that he had
\ninstructed hospitals and public health centers to stay open 24
\nhours in order to deal with further cases in several areas,
\nincluding in Jumpandang Baru, Kassi-kassi, Tamalate, Tamangapa,
\nAntara, Bara-baraya and Maccinisawa.<\/p>\n
The situation was similar in nearby regencies including in
\nBone, Gowa, Paloppo, Sanjai, Wajo and Nulukumba.<\/p>\n
Dr. Oerip Murtedjo of the Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya,
\nEast Java said on Saturday that around six patients a day, on
\naverage, were admitted to the hospital for diarrhea since the
\nbeginning of the month.<\/p>\n
Dr. Umar Fahmi Achmadi, the director-general of infectious
\ndisease and sanitation with the Health Ministry, called on
\nhospitals and public health centers (Puskesmas) across the
\ncountry to stay alert for similarly severe cases of diarrhea in
\ntheir respective areas.<\/p>\n
In a statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Saturday, Umar
\nFahmi called on the people to pay more attention to personal
\nhygiene in a bid to prevent whatever was causing the infections.<\/p>\n
Normally caused by an excess of E.coli bacteria, diarrhea is
\nmost often associated with the consumption of unhygienic food or
\nwater and unhygienic living conditions. Local doctors also
\nbelieve it is caused by changes in the weather. Most of the
\ncountry is beginning to enter the wet season this month.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi
\nShihab said he would hold a ministerial meeting to discuss the
\nlong-running diarrhea issue.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after visiting patients in Labuang Baji
\nhospital, Alwi said that the central government was considering
\nan allocation of special funds for diarrhea-afflicted children,
\nespecially those who are malnourished, as they are particularly
\nvulnerable.<\/p>\n
Since early November, more than 1,300 patients nationwide have
\nbeen admitted to hospitals due problems related to serious
\ndiarrhea. Some caregivers said they had not been able to
\naccommodate all the patients that had flooded the health centers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/diarrhea-incidence-surges-after-holidays-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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