Concerns raised over government monitoring of SARS

Concerns raised over government monitoring of SARS

Evi Mariani and Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia's first Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
cases could have arrived on a flight from Singapore on Thursday
but it appears nobody is bothering to check.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport health clinic head
Herbagyanto Purnomo said it had given health alert cards to four
passengers who arrived in Jakarta on a flight from Singapore
early Thursday evening.

However, Herbagyanto said that as of Friday evening no
measures regarding the passengers had been taken by Jakarta
health authorities.

According to standard operating procedures, health officials
at air and seaports have to immediately report any suspected
cases to the local health agency, which will then monitor the
health of the card recipients.

The disease, which the Chinese government has just admitted
was first recorded in southern China last November, has claimed
54 victims. Most of the 1,408 confirmed cases detected around the
world are in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.

Herbagyanto's revelations seem to contradict government claims
that it is intensifying precautionary measures at Indonesian
entry points due to the worldwide outbreak of the often fatal
disease.

"Port authorities have been distributing health alert cards to
passengers with symptoms of the disease who have just arrived
from SARS-prone areas. The cards are provided with information on
SARS," Ministry of Health communicable disease director general
Umar Fahmi Achmadi said Friday.

The ministry has issued a travel advisory asking people to
avoid visiting countries already affected by the disease.

Earlier Friday, University of Indonesia School of Medicine
(FKUI) specialists said they had not yet confirmed any cases of
SARS in Indonesia, despite the frequent travel of people from
here to the SARS-hit countries.

Pulmonologists Dr. Anwar Yusuf and Dr. Priyanti,
microbiologist Dr. Amin Subandrio as well as the head of the
Continuing Medical Education Unit of FKUI, Dr. Menaldi Rasmin,
said that although no antidote had been found, they were ready to
provide initial treatment, should there be any SARS cases
reported.

"So, in the meantime all we can do for SARS patients is
provide supportive treatments to develop defense mechanisms
against the virus," Amin said.

They said that traveling to SARS-prone areas was strongly
advised against and those who had to go needed to be extra
cautious.

The pneumonia-like virus spreads through the air.

"For example, if SARS patients cough or sneeze, they spread
virus droplets in the air. It stays active for one to two hours
and can infect people around," said Anwar.

The virus also stays on surfaces of things like tables or
handrails. "So, frequently washing your hands when you happen to
be in an endemic area is strongly recommended," Amin said.

Meanwhile, most hospitals in Jakarta said they were now
preparing for possible SARS cases.

The spokesperson for St. Carolus hospital in Central Jakarta,
Endang Suryatno, said it had prepared four isolation rooms with
special masks and gowns in the event of any SARS cases.

The Siloam Gleneagles Hospital in Tangerang has also prepared
several isolation rooms, while Dr. Tjandra Yoga Aditama from
Persahabatan Hospital, East Jakarta, said it had prepared three
main steps for SARS.

"We urged our medical staff to keep themselves updated with
any development of SARS and briefed them with special standard
operating procedures," Tjandra said,