Diarrhea hits Ambon refugees

Diarrhea hits Ambon refugees

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi (Antara): Six refugees from the riot-torn eastern Indonesian city of Ambon died of diarrhea while 395 others have been hospitalized in the past 20 days, a health official said here Tuesday.

The victims are three infants and three young people, the head of the district health office, Sahyuddin said.

He said diarrhea attacked the subdistricts of Gu and Lakudo. In Gu sub-district, of some 1,000 refugees, 154 of them were affected, among which three children died.

In Lakudo subdistrict, 241 out of 1,000 refugees were also attacked by diarrhea. Three of them died because treatment came too late, Sahyuddin said.

He said diarrhea began spreading through parts of the province from early March, as the refugees began to arrive, many already unwell. He said the illnesses were likely caused by poor diets on the journey from Ambon to villages here.

"Shortly after their arrival here, many of them drank unsterilized and rather salty water," he said, adding that local paramedics and doctors had treated the victims.

Supplies of medicine are still sufficient, he said, adding that new medicines, including intravenous solutions, would be sent by the provincial health office.

During months of bloody unrest in Ambon and elsewhere in Maluku, tens of thousands of people fled the province to neighboring South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi provinces.