Jakarta government to fumigate, not educate<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The death toll from dengue fever has reached 255 while 13,765
\nothers have been hospitalized for the disease since early this
\nyear, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday, an increase of
\nmore than 10 deaths since 241 deaths were reported by the office
\non Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The worst affected provinces include Jakarta, West Java,
\nCentral and East Java, East and West Nusa Tenggara, Yogyakarta
\nand Bali, Minister Ahmad Suyudi said.<\/p>\n
The government \"is preparing Rp 150 billion (US$17.86
\nmillion)\" in emergency funds, he said, as quoted by detik.com.
\nwhile provinces are fumbling with available resources.<\/p>\n
In the capital, instead of allotting funding for an urgent
\ncampaign to curb the number of dengue cases in the capital, the
\nJakarta administration plans to import 42 mobile fogging devices
\nto be distributed to each district.<\/p>\n
City spokesman Muhayat said on Wednesday that the new devices
\nwere expected to be purchased later this year.<\/p>\n
Experts on communicable diseases had repeatedly warned that
\nfumigation alone would not prevent the dengue fever from
\nspreading as it only kills the mosquitoes and not the larvae.<\/p>\n
They have pointed out that the most effective way to prevent
\nthe fatal disease is to clean, bury and cover all things filled
\nwith standing water that could serve as a place for mosquitoes to
\nbreed.<\/p>\n
But West Jakarta health office head of communicable diseases,
\nAriani Murti, admitted that such preventive measures were still
\nconducted in a limited capacity due to the lack of funds.<\/p>\n
\"We've trained and deployed a number of jumantik officers (a
\ntask force to educate the public on the eradication of mosquito
\nlarvae) in 10 high-risk districts which cover a total of 800
\ncommunity units (RW). However, not all of them have been reached
\ndue to lack of funds.\"<\/p>\n
Ariani mentioned some of the high-risk subdistricts in West
\nJakarta that should have been visited by the jumantik officers
\nincluding Palmerah, Kebon Jeruk, Grogol Petamburan and Jelambar
\nsubdistricts. But residents told the Post they had not seen such
\nofficers.<\/p>\n
It has been one week since Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso informed
\nofficers from 267 subdistricts that the administration would
\ndeploy around 800 jumantik officers to educate the public on
\npreventing the breeding of mosquitoes that carry dengue.<\/p>\n
Muhayat said earlier that the administration had allocated a
\ntotal of Rp 7.2 billion (US$857,142) for 42 subdistricts to be
\nused for operational costs to curb dengue fever. The
\nadministration also disbursed Rp 500 million for the health
\nagency and Rp 400 million for municipal health offices.<\/p>\n
As of Wednesday, data from the health agency revealed that
\nthere were 4,840 cases of dengue fever and 50 patients had died.
\nThe number increased significantly from 4,252 patients on
\nTuesday, with the number of deaths at 47.<\/p>\n
In the neighboring Banten province, 132 cases of dengue fever
\nhave been reported since January, with one fatality.<\/p>\n
Bandung, West Java, recorded 2,655 dengue cases since January,
\nwith the death toll reaching 51. The provincial health office
\nhead Yudi Prayudha had ordered fumigation in high-risk districts.<\/p>\n
Nganjuk Health Agency in East Java reported 188 people with
\ndengue, 11 of whom have died.<\/p>\n
In East Kalimantan, 254 dengue cases have been reported since
\nJanuary, seven of whom have died.<\/p>\n
In Palu, Central Sulawesi, at least 15 have been hospitalized
\nsince mid January, one of whom has died. To prevent dengue from
\nspreading, the Palu health agency had ordered residents to clean
\nplaces where mosquitoes are likely to breed.<\/p>\n
The Maluku health agency has distributed abate powder (to kill
\nmosquito larvae) and conducted fumigation of high-risk areas.<\/p>",
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