Diarrhea, dengue outbreaks kill 41

Diarrhea, dengue outbreaks kill 41

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Thirty-eight people have died and 1,000 have been hospitalized over the past five months following a diarrhea outbreak which hit 28 villages on Sabu Island.

The head of the health office in Kupang, Dr. Edy Lamanepa, said yesterday that teams of paramedics, armed with medical supplies, has been sent to the affected areas.

Lamanepa said the high rate of fatalities was because many of the villagers resorted to traditional medicines, such as roots, to treat the disease. In addition, he said, a number of water springs have been contaminated during the current rainy season.

Markus Pu Lado, a villager of Sabu Island who just arrived in Kupang said that many people in remote places could not obtain medical treatment due to transportation difficulties.

There are three village health centers in Sabu Island, 18 smaller clinics and one doctor who has to divide his time between all of the clinics. There are also 47 paramedics and 11 midwives.

According to Lapanema, the city of Kupang has also been hit by a dengue outbreak recently. Three people died while 218 others had to be hospitalized. (yac/swe)