Diarrhea outbreak kills eight infants

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Eight infants in South Central Timor regency, East Nusa Tenggara, have died as a result of a diarrhea outbreak in the area over the past two weeks. The dead children, ranging from seven to 13-month-old infants, lived in 10 subdistricts of the regency.

Besides the fatalities, 22 other infants are also sick with diarrhea and are now receiving medical treatment in a local hospital.

As of Saturday, the number of infants affected by the outbreak totaled 231, including the 22 infants being treated in the hospital. "The infants died due to late arrival of medical help," said South Central Timor Health Agency director Markus Righuta.

The long drought is being blamed for the diarrhea outbreak in the regency, one of poorest in East Nusa Tenggara province. -- JP