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.