Child tsunami victim dies in hospital

JAKARTA: The tsunami in Aceh claimed another victim on Tuesday when 27-month-old Maharani Paulina died of respiratory problems at the Harapan Kita Hospital in West Jakarta.

Two other Acehnese children died earlier at the same hospital of respiratory problems. They were Rahmat Suhada, 17 months, and Deasy Chaerani, 27 months.

Four other Achenese children are still being treated at the hospital. The four were identified as Sifa Alfatin, 21 months, Uli, 11 years, Utari, six years, and Uca, five years.

The hospital has treated 37 tsunami victims from Aceh, 17 of them children. Besides the four children still hospitalized, the rest of the patients have been discharged.

Mufidah Jusuf Kalla, the wife of Vice President Jusuf Kalla, visited the hospital on Tuesday and promised to help the children.

"All five of my children are grown, so I have the time to take care of them," she said. --JP