Govt deploys more doctors to big airports<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has deployed more medical doctors at major
\nairports across the country as the number of suspected Severe
\nAcute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) cases rose to six on Friday.<\/p>\n
Director for epidemiology surveillance, immunization, and
\nhealth at the Ministry of Health Indriyono said 12 doctors had
\nbeen stationed at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in
\nCengkareng, west of Jakarta; 15 at Denpasar's Ngurah Rai Airport
\nin Bali, and another four at Batam's International Airport in
\nRiau, 24 hours after the government declared SARS a national
\nthreat and implementing a law on epidemics.<\/p>\n
At gate one of terminal D at Soekarno-Hatta airport, one
\nmedical doctor and three health officials -- all wearing masks --
\nmet passengers arriving from Taiwan and Singapore, while
\ndistributing yellow health alert cards to them.<\/p>\n
The passengers had to write their name, passport number,
\ncomplete addresses in Indonesia and port of departure, and hand
\nthem back to the officials.<\/p>\n
"Could you please write down your district on this? Because we
\nneed your complete address," a health official said to a woman
\nwho apparently lived in a village in Ponorogo, East Java.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the doctors carefully observed all passengers to
\ncheck for those who displayed signs of illness. "We don't examine
\neach passenger because it would not enable us to determine
\nwhether the person is carrying the SARS virus or not. In the
\nincubation period of two to seven days, no symptoms are visible,"
\nsaid Roeselar, one of the airport doctors.<\/p>\n
As the public becomes more concerned the government is
\nexpected to take tighter measures to prevent SARS from spreading
\nin the country. Recently, jitters among the general public can be
\nseen from the numerous phone calls, e-mails and short messaging
\nservice (SMS) between people, phone calls inundating the SARS
\nhotline number, newspaper headlines and continuous television
\ncoverage, as well as the rising demand for masks.<\/p>\n
However, health officials at the airport are taking the same
\nmeasures as they had taken before the government announced the
\nimplementation of Law No.4\/1984 on epidemics.<\/p>\n
The only difference is that the government has added doctors
\nand medical personnel at the airport and that health officials
\nnow feel they have more authority in carrying out their duties.<\/p>\n
"We feel more confident because we are implementing a law, so
\npeople have to comply," said Roeselar.<\/p>\n
At Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, where
\nabout 800 foreigners are expected to come to participate in the
\nplanned 52nd Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) conference
\nfrom April 13 to April 17, tighter measures have been taken.<\/p>\n
Chief of the immigration office at the airport I Gde Widiartha
\nsaid on Friday that any incoming foreign passengers and flight
\ncrew who were suspected of having SARS would be denied entry to
\nBali.<\/p>\n
"Based on Law No. 9\/1997 on immigration, we have the authority
\nnot to issue an entry permit for certain individuals," he said.
\n"Those who are suspected of having SARS will be deported or sent
\nback to their port of embarkation."<\/p>\n
This decision, according to Widiartha, has been implemented
\nsince Friday morning. Immigration officers, airport authorities
\nand relevant agencies have been notified of the decision.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, all immigration officers on duty have been told
\nto wear protective masks to prevent the possible transmission of
\nthe SARS virus, he said.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, South Sulawesi, local councillors held a meeting
\non Friday with local health agency officials to discuss measures
\nto prevent the spread of SARS.<\/p>\n
"Although there is no international airport here, there is
\nstill the possibility of people with SARS entering our town,"
\nsaid the head of Makassar health agency Dr. Armyn Nurdin.<\/p>\n
The agency also appointed Wahidin Soedirohoesodo Hospital to
\ntreat SARS patients.<\/p>\n
Health officials in Makassar's Hasanuddin seaport have
\nestablished a medical post for SARS and also put up posters
\ncontaining information about SARS at many spots.<\/p>\n
According to information from respective hospitals, one more
\nsuspected SARS patient was admitted to Sulyanti Saroso Infectious
\nDiseases Hospital at Sunter, North Jakarta on Friday, bringing
\nthe total to six.<\/p>\n
One suspected SARS patient is currently being confined in
\nBatam, Riau; one died in Jakarta last week, reportedly not
\nbecause of SARS but of multiple-organ failure; two were released
\nfrom hospital in Jakarta and are being monitored; and one in
\nSemarang, Central Java was declared free from SARS as he was
\nsuffering from normal pneumonia.<\/p>\n
Globally, according to a World Health Organization (WHO)
\nreport on April 3, 2,270 people have been infected with SARS, of
\nwhom 97 have died.<\/p>\n
Related stories on Pages 2,<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-deploys-more-doctors-to-big-airports-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }