563 jamboree participants get diarrhea
PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): After the National Boy Scout Jamboree 2001 had been running for two days on Thursday, as many as 563 participants suffered diarrhea and a high fever, forcing the organizing committee to rush some of them to nearby Margono Sukarjo public hospital.
Deputy head of the health section of the organizing committee Dr. Gempol Suwandono said that some of the patients had to stay at the hospital.
A nurse at the hospital said 10 people were in a serious condition. "They are all from outside Java," said the nurse, who wanted to remain anonymous.
Nasir, a doctor in charge of the main health post at the Jamboree site said that the climate had affected the participants' condition. "And the meal they ate might not have been as 'clean' as it should have been."
"It is 20 degrees Celsius at night at this tourist resort of Baturraden. The climate might be unfriendly to those coming from 'hotter' areas."
He said there were 10 health posts at the Jamboree site. "Each post has two doctors and seven paramedics in attendance every day."
The Jamboree programs ran smoothly, despite participants' complaints about the disappearance of water faucets and toilets. The organizing committee had yet to buy replacements.
Security is a matter of concern at the Jamboree ground.
The second day of the boy scouts meeting was also highlighted by two motorcycle thefts. Both the motorcycles were stolen from the homestay complex in the village of Ketenger, where most of the Jamboree participants are accommodated.
A 20-year-old man, who was caught red-handed by locals, was mobbed. Police officers, whose post is close to the homestays, saved the unidentified man from the mob's anger.
The officers were hard pressed to disperse the mob and save the suspect.
An eyewitness, Darikun, a 40-year-old local, said somebody had stolen his motorcycle parked in the yard in front of his house at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
"Then I parked another motorcycle at a place close to my house and asked fellow villagers to watch while hidden. Later, at about 4 p.m., a man approached the motorcycle and started to wheel it away until the villagers came out and apprehended him." (45/sur)