Hospital crowded with diarrhea patients<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang<\/p>\n
The sound of babies crying filled the air at WZ Johannes
\nHospital's pediatric ward in Kupang on Thursday. A paper sign
\nstuck to the ward's door read, \"diarrhea patients only\".<\/p>\n
Inside, nurses were busy making the rounds, with eight
\nchildren under the age of one lying weakly on hospital beds,
\nbeing fed intravenously. Parents were also in attendance, though
\nsome babies had no one but the nurses to take care of them.<\/p>\n
In other wards, seven men and five women were also being
\ntreated for diarrheal diseases.<\/p>\n
In the hospital's emergency room, four children had been
\ntreated since early on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"All four were suffering from diarrhea,\" said a hospital
\nworker.<\/p>\n
Wearing nothing but a white cloth wrapped around him, eight-
\nmonth-old Karel Sulla lay on his back in a bed in the emergency
\nroom. Since early that morning he had discharged runny stools 26
\ntimes.<\/p>\n
The baby boy was referred to the hospital by a doctor who took
\non his case after his condition quickly deteriorated at home.
\nHowever, as there was no space in the pediatric ward, he was
\ntreated in the emergency room.<\/p>\n
In the last two weeks, 12 children in East Nusa Tenggara have
\ndied of dehydration after suffering diarrhea. Eleven of them were
\nfrom Timor Tengah Selatan regency and the other one from Kupang
\nmunicipality.<\/p>\n
In the same period, more than 350 children in 11 villages in
\nTimor Tengah Selatan regency's six districts and 50 children in
\nKupang city underwent treatment for diarrhea.<\/p>\n
The actual number of people with a diarrheal disease could be
\nhigher than reported since many of the sick are from low-income
\nfamilies for whom medical treatment is a luxury they cannot
\nafford.<\/p>\n
Many of the children at Johannes Hospital were brought there
\nby their parents who had been promised free medical treatment.<\/p>\n
Hironimus Kana, the father of one-year-and-two-month-old
\nYesica Puteri Kana, earns a living selling vegetables.<\/p>\n
\"My wife and I sell vegetables. Every day, we go from one
\nhouse to another, selling vegetables in a pushcart. My baby stays
\nhome with her two little brothers. Maybe she got diarrhea because
\nshe drank water that had not been boiled or from playing in dirty
\nplaces,\" the 46-year-old man said.<\/p>\n
Hironimus said he was unable to buy medicine for his sick girl
\nalthough her hospital stay was otherwise free.<\/p>\n
\"We're poor, we have no money. Every day there's a
\nprescription from the doctor. We heard that poor families get
\nfree treatment. The reality is different, we have to buy our own
\nmedicine,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A recent examination by a medical team of several water
\nsources in Timor Tengah Selatan regency showed high contamination
\nof E. coli bacteria. For instance, the E. coli contamination in
\nthe Oebena water source reached 84 ppm (part per million), Kusi
\n975 ppm and Tubuhue 975 ppm.<\/p>\n
\"According to health regulations, drinking water should have a
\n0 ppm level. For bathing purposes, it should be 12 ppm at most.
\nIf the level is higher than stated, it's dangerous for the
\nhealth,\" said the head of Timor Tengah Selatan regency's Health
\nOffice, Markus Ng Righuta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hospital-crowded-with-diarrhea-patients-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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