RI picked as ASEAN information center on SARS<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia has been chosen by the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) as its Information Center for Severe Acute
\nRespiratory Syndrome (SARS), a government official says.<\/p>\n
Health Minister Achmad Sujudi said on Thursday that the
\ndecision was made during the recently concluded ASEAN SARS summit
\nin Bangkok.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Health, according to Sujudi, has launched a
\nwebsite on SARS: http:\/\/www.aseandiseasesurveillance.net.<\/p>\n
Sujudi, as quoted by Antara, also said that Thailand was
\nchosen as the base country for the research center on SARS
\nepidemiology, while Malaysia was the research center for SARS
\ntreatment.<\/p>\n
The Southeast Asian leaders also agreed Tuesday to increase
\nhealth screening for all international passengers.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a probable SARS patient in Medan, North Sumatra,
\nwas discharged from the Adam Malik Hospital on Thursday. He was
\ndeclared healthy and was allowed to leave the hospital.<\/p>\n
But two other new patients suspected of having SARS were
\nadmitted to the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital in
\nNorth Jakarta on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Secretary for the Directorate General on Communicable Diseases
\nEradication and Environmental Health (P2M), Syafi'i Ahmad, said
\none of the patients was a 31-year old Taiwanese businessman who
\nhad just arrived from Taiwan at the airport in Surabaya on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
The other was a 27-year old Indonesian who had just arrived
\nfrom Taiwan at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.<\/p>\n
The Sulianti Suroso Hospital has also been treating a 22-year
\nold patient in the past three days. He transited in Singapore on
\na flight from Bangkok.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's first probable SARS case was a Briton who fled to
\nHong Kong after he was discharged from hospital.<\/p>\n
The latest report issued by the World Health Organization
\n(WHO) said that the atypical pneumonia, believed to be caused by
\na coronavirus, had caused 5,663 infections worldwide with 372
\nfatalities.<\/p>\n
P2M director Umar Fahmi Achmadi said Thursday that the
\ngovernment would purchase thermal scanners to be placed at
\ninternational airports and seaports.<\/p>\n
Such scanners are now used by Singapore and Thailand at their
\ninternational airports.<\/p>\n
Several airports that would employ the scanners were Soekarno-
\nHatta International Airport in Jakarta, Ngurah Rai Airport in
\nDenpasar, Polonia Airport in Medan and the Batam International
\nAirport.<\/p>\n
Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia Ferry de Kerckhove said
\nThursday that his country had worked hard to contain the outbreak
\nin Canada and their efforts had paid off, as reflected by the
\nWorld Health Organization lifting its travel advisory against
\nnon-essential travel to Toronto.<\/p>\n
He said the government would continue to monitor the situation
\ncarefully.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-picked-as-asean-information-center-on-sars-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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