Plastic surgery on Merapi victims underway<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Doctors will begin performing plastic surgery
\ntoday on victims of the Mount Merapi eruption. The victims have
\nbeen receiving treatment for their serious burn injuries.<\/p>\n
As of yesterday, the death toll in the Nov. 22 eruption stands
\nat 52 but is, sadly, expected to increase because many of the 29
\nvictims hospitalized with burn injuries are in very critical
\ncondition.<\/p>\n
Relief aid continued to stream in from various organizations
\nand individuals. The Malaysian government donated food supplies
\nand clothing worth Rp 40 million (US$18,000).<\/p>\n
Officials at the Merapi monitoring agency recorded 2 tremors,
\nan indication of low level volcanic activity. They noted that the
\n2,962 meter high volcano gushed burning lava 49 times.<\/p>\n
Surgery<\/p>\n
Doctors at the Sardjito hospital said they will start
\nperforming plastic surgery on seven patients today, one day
\nbehind schedule due to medical reasons.<\/p>\n
Plastic surgery will also be performed on one victim at the
\nBethesda hospital, three at Panti Rapih hospital and one at the
\nMuhammadiyah hospital.<\/p>\n
Coordinator of medical treatment for the Merapi victims,
\nDoctor Bayu Nugroho said that the victims had between 70 to 90
\npercent of their skin burnt.<\/p>\n
Surgeons will graft skin taken from unaffected parts of the
\nburn victims' body. The grafted skin will be covered with the
\nhide of young goats until the new skin grows, a process that will
\ntake about two weeks, he said.<\/p>\n
The hides of more than a dozen goats, aged about three months,
\nwill be used in the rare surgery. Doctors say goats are chosen
\nbecause the animals are highly resistant to infection.<\/p>\n
Five doctors from Japan and Australia have been brought in to
\nassist with the surgery.<\/p>\n
\"The surgery is more life-saving in nature than actual skin
\ngrafting,\" doctor Hendro Wartatmo of Sardjito Hospital told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the patients also suffered internal burn injuries they
\nreceived from inhaling the hot gases from the volcano.<\/p>\n
Yesterday Search and Rescue workers canceled plans to enter
\nthe worst-hit hamlet of Turgo as well as others near the Boyong
\nRiver for fear that the pounding rain would wash the massive lava
\ndeposit down from the slopes of the mountain.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the day the volcano was declared calm, Search
\nand Rescue workers reached the two areas and found human remains
\nin the Boyong River and Rp 1 million (US$483,000) in cash in
\nTurgo.<\/p>\n
In Boyolali, people in the Selo subdistrict have complained
\nthey cannot use the water from their wells because it is badly
\npolluted by volcanic ash.<\/p>\n
Local health officials have warned residents against drinking
\nthe contaminated water and, instead, the local government is
\nsupplying clean water to area. (mun\/har\/wah\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/plastic-surgery-on-merapi-victims-underway-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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