Diarrhea claims two lives in S. Sumatra

Diarrhea claims two lives in S. Sumatra

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: The diarrhea outbreak in Pegayut,
Ogan Komering Ilir, some 10 kilometers south of Palembang, the
capital of South Sumatra, has claimed two lives.

Milasari, 3, and Dewi Ranti, 2, died last week after suffering
diarrhea for nearly a week.

As of Monday, the diarrhea has reportedly affected around 120
people, mostly children, after locals consumed water from a river
flowing through the village following the prolonged drought. Some
of the patients are still undergoing intensive care in hospitals
in Palembang while another group is on an out-patient basis at a
public heath center in the subdistrict town of Pemulutan.

The head of the local health office, Syahrul Muhammad, said
his office had set up a 24-hour post in the village to provide
medical aid for infected residents.

"Besides deploying tankers to supply clean water to villages
in the Ogan Komering Ilir regency, we have launched a campaign on
the use of clean water to avoid more victims," he said. --JP