Dengue cases cause concern at hospitals

Dengue cases cause concern at hospitals

JAKARTA (JP): Hospital officials warned on Thursday that a
severe outbreak of dengue fever could strike the city, with many
recently admitted patients in the advanced hemorrhagic stage of
the disease.

Spokeswoman of St. Carolus Hospital in Central Jakarta, Endang
Suryatno, and coordinator of the inhouse department at the
Indonesian Christian University (UKI) Hospital in East Jakarta
Djatmiko Djati said in separate interviews that most patients
were in a serious stage of infection from the dengue virus,
transmitted by the aedes aegypti mosquito.

"Most patients were in an advanced stage of viral infection,"
Endang said.

"In some cases, the patients were hemorrhaging when they were
admitted here."

She dismissed speculation that dengue was becoming a more
serious problem because of public ignorance about symptoms of the
disease.

"People are now more conscientious while dealing with dengue,
mostly after experiencing a dengue fever outbreak in 1998. People
now rush for medical treatment even though it is just a light
fever," she said.

"Probably, the virus has now become more malignant and the
incubation period is faster than before."

Djatmiko said some patients should undergo advanced medical
procedures, including blood tests, even if the preliminary
diagnosis was a light fever.

Djatmiko said five to six dengue fever patients were admitted
to his hospital every day.

"When the outbreak was at its peak in 1998, the number could
reach 15 patients a day." He said there were 15,000 dengue cases
that year, with 133 fatalities.

The city administration previously warned of the possibility
of a dengue fever outbreak this year as seven people had died of
the disease as of March 1. Data at the city's health agency show
there were 1,309 cases through March 1.

Djatmiko said the city health authority distributed circulars
to hospitals to prepare for a possible dengue fever outbreak.

"I think hospitals are now readier to face the dengue outbreak
after our experience in 1998," he said, adding that the UKI
hospital was not experiencing problems with the medicine or blood
supply due to intensive coordination with drug manufacturers and
the hospital's blood bank.

St. Carolus is in a similar situation.

Endang said the hospital established good cooperation with
drug suppliers.

"Problems of drug shortages usually occur at state-owned
hospitals because the supply is based on allocation," she said.
(ind)