Government wages war against dengue fever<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto expressed deep concern
\nyesterday over the dengue fever outbreak that has affected
\nthousands and killed at least 429 people across the country over
\nthe past months.<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Farid Anfasa Moeloek said the President had
\nrequested that the 3M movement to eradicate the mosquito-borne
\ndisease be stepped up.<\/p>\n
\"The President wants the 3M movement to promote environmental
\ncleanliness intensified,\" Moeloek said after meeting with
\nSoeharto at his private residence on Jl. Cendana, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
The 3Ms stand for 'Menguras', 'Menutup' and 'Mengubur', in
\nreference to three actions which can prevent the Aedes aegypti
\nmosquito, which carries the dengue virus, from breeding. They are
\nrespectively draining open tanks, covering bathing water and
\nburying used cans and other canisters to prevent the accumulation
\nof rainwater.<\/p>\n
He said all governors, mayors and regents would be asked to
\npublicize the 3M campaign and to cooperate with local and
\nreligious leaders to improve awareness of the epidemic.<\/p>\n
The minister stressed that the dengue fever epidemic was not a
\nnational disaster, but an extraordinary incident that needed to
\nbe handled in a coordinated fashion by the relevant departments.<\/p>\n
Moeloek's remarks was echoed by ministers under the office of
\nCoordinating Minister for People's Welfare Haryono Suyono, who
\nlaunched a nationwide movement to battle dengue yesterday.<\/p>\n
Haryono said the government was determined to combat the
\ndengue outbreak, which is expected to peak in May or June, with a
\ncoordinated response.<\/p>\n
He said that Minister of Home Affairs R. Hartono would lead
\nthe cleanliness campaign in the provinces, Moeloek would
\ncoordinate all hospital and health center and ensure that they
\nprioritize dengue patients, and Minister of Social Services Siti
\nHardijanti Rukmana, who is also chairwoman of the Indonesian Red
\nCross, would spearhead a drive for blood donations.<\/p>\n
Moeloek said that according to monitoring carried out by his
\nministry, 16,646 people across the country had been infected with
\nthe disease between Jan. 1 and April 22 this year. Four hundred
\nand twenty nine of those infected had died, he added.<\/p>\n
In 1997, 4,912 were struck down with the disease and 50 people
\ndied.<\/p>\n
Among provinces affected this year are South Sumatra; Jambi;
\nLampung; North, Central, South and Southeast Sulawesi; West Nusa
\nTenggara; and East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"The most severely affected areas are South Sumatra (over
\n2,000 cases) and Jakarta (5,680 cases and 54 deaths),\" Moeloek
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said that in West Java, the disease had affected 1,125 and
\nkilled 41, while in Central Java it has affected 2,007 and killed
\n86.<\/p>\n
In East Java, he said, the number of infected people had
\nreached 1,082, with 22 fatalities.<\/p>\n
The minister warned there was no special drugs for treating
\nthe disease. The efficacy of treatment depends upon the stage at
\nwhich the disease is diagnosed.<\/p>\n
He said that patients in the first stage of the disease could
\nbe treated with antipyretic drugs. However, if patients were
\ndiagnosed in the second and third stages of the disease, which
\nare marked with high fever, they required hospital treatment.<\/p>\n
He said all hospitals and public health centers had been asked
\nto devote more rooms to dengue patients.<\/p>\n
Several hospitals in Yogyakarta have already provided
\nadditional rooms for the increasing number of infected people.<\/p>\n
The city's Muhammmadiyah Hospital provided additional beds to
\naccommodate 83 new patients. Sardjito Hospital, also in
\nYogyakarta, is currently treating 85 patients with dengue fever.
\nThe disease has so far killed 46 people in the province.<\/p>\n
In Ujungpandang, the capital of South Sulawesi, 500 people
\nhave been infected and 11 have died. The fatalities were mainly
\namong children who were late in receiving medical treatment.<\/p>\n
In Palu, Central Sulawesi, at least 111 people have been
\ninfected over the last two months. Two have died.<\/p>\n
In Lampung, the number of sufferers has reached 65. Most of
\nthose infected are children under five years old. The death toll
\nin the province is two.<\/p>\n
Antara news agency reported yesterday that residents of
\nBandarlampung, the capital of Lampung, were concerned at the
\nabsence of abate powder in the city's shops.<\/p>\n
The powder is used to exterminate Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
\n(prb\/rms\/23)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-wages-war-against-dengue-fever-1447893297",
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