Garbage aggravates post-flood illnesses<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Flood victims started to return home over the last few days
\nbut sickness threatens in the next three weeks unless the piles
\nof garbage in various flooded areas are collected.<\/p>\n
\"We are currently at a critical stage as post-flood illness,
\nespecially diarrhea, begins to occur. The situation has been
\nworsened by the garbage still awaiting collection in several
\nareas that were flooded,\" said head of the City Health Agency,
\nAbdul Cholik Masuli, on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"We will order all puskesmas (community health centers) across
\nthe city to open 24 hours per day starting on Feb. 15. I admit it
\nwas rather late but at present we are still gathering together
\nteams of health workers to be at the puskesmas.\"<\/p>\n
As of Thursday, 18,000 people, most of whom come from West
\nJakarta, have been suffering diarrhea, with 195 of them
\nhospitalized. They were admitted to Tarakan city hospital on Jl.
\nKyai Caringin, Central Jakarta. Of the 195 patients, 166 of them
\nwere children under five years of age.<\/p>\n
Cholik has appealed to the sanitation agency to deal with the
\npiles of garbage.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) echoed similar
\nconcern.<\/p>\n
IDI secretary-general Dr. Dody Firmanda said the piles of
\ngarbage -- which contain viruses, bacteria and parasites -- were
\nthe ideal medium for spreading sickness.<\/p>\n
\"Flies will carry the germs to evacuees' food and drinking
\nsupply,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The bacteria would then infect the human digestive system and
\ncause diarrhea.<\/p>\n
Dody warned evacuees to be on the alert about personal hygiene
\nby cleaning their environment.<\/p>\n
Discarded musty and grubby garbage -- comprising debris from
\nshanty dwellings, furniture, mud and household scrap -- was seen
\npiling up in several flooded areas, mostly located near the
\ntemporary shelters where the victims took refuge.<\/p>\n
Both sidewalks along Kampung Melayu flyover, East Jakarta,
\nwere filled with garbage covered by mud. Evacuees were seen using
\nthe sidewalks to dry their clothes and cooking tools.<\/p>\n
Ibu Endang, who lives in the area, said the absence of garbage
\ncarts or litter bins forced her to throw garbage onto the
\nsidewalk.<\/p>\n
\"We're all tired and there's nowhere to dispose of garbage.
\nThat's why I put them on the sidewalk. Let the garbage men handle
\nit,\" she complained.<\/p>\n
Endang said the garbage had remained uncollected for more than
\na week. Only scavengers came regularly to collect discarded
\nplastic and steel.<\/p>\n
Similar scenes could also be observed along Jl. Teluk Gong
\nRaya and Jl. Tubagus Angke in North Jakarta where the
\naccumulating garbage could be seen piling up in front of a
\nfoodstall. The garbage had been left there for four days.<\/p>\n
Along Jl. Cipinang Raya and Jl. Bekasi Timur Raya in East
\nJakarta, garbage was also scattered on the sidewalk on both sides
\nof the road.<\/p>\n
City Sanitation Agency deputy chief Rama Boedi said on
\nWednesday that his office had deployed 113 trucks to collect
\n30,000 cubic meters of garbage every day, a 20 percent increase
\non normal.<\/p>\n
The agency has also cooperated with the Army, which has
\ndeployed personnel to clean up garbage in several places that
\nsuffered flooding. Unfortunately, all such efforts were still far
\nfrom sufficient. Mountains of garbage could still be seen in
\nthose areas.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/garbage-aggravates-post-flood-illnesses-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}