Disease threatens quake-hit Bengkulu
JAKARTA (JP): People in Bengkulu is expecting a fight against diarrhea and typhoid before they regain their feet after the powerful aftershocks that wreaked havoc across the province.
Governor Hasan Zen warned on Friday of a possible outbreak of the diseases as many of the quake survivors, particularly on the remote island of Enggano, had been living in makeshift tents or in the open air after a powerful temblor measuring 7.3 on Richter scale jolted the province.
He said displaced people on the island needed waterproof tents and immediate health aid as 90 percent of the buildings and two sea ports there were heavily damaged.
Hasan also appealed to people in the province to disregard speculation that a tsunami might hit the province.
"The rumors are baseless, because according to earthquake experts, tidal waves usually hit five minutes after the first earthquake," said the governor, as quoted by Antara.
At least 750 aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 6.2 on Thursday, have shaken the province since Sunday's initial tremor.
Amid complaints over the government's snail-pace relief operation, House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung visited Bengkulu and consoled the victims.
He praised both local and foreign medical staff for their hard work in helping people made homeless in the province of 1.5 million population.
Local people have expressed frustration as they feel the government has not paid enough attention to their plight. Up until Friday afternoon, no Cabinet members had visited the victims. People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais visited Bengkulu on Thursday.
President Abdurrahman Wahid is on a 14-day overseas trip, and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri just returned on Friday morning from a two-day visit to Luwuk Banggai in Southeast Sulawesi, which was also rocked by an earthquake early last month. She is only scheduled to arrive in Bengkulu on June 15.
Jacob Nuwawea, a legislator from Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), urged the party's chairwoman to visit Bengkulu as soon as possible.
"Fatmawati (Megawati's mother) hailed from Bengkulu. Her father Sukarno was once jailed by the Dutch in the area. Therefore it is only natural that residents there are eager to see her," said Jacob.
Bengkulu Deputy Governor Iskandar Ramis said that by Friday, the death toll had reached 85 and more than 1,250 were injured in the earthquake. More than 9,000 houses and buildings were heavily damaged, he said.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Humanitarian Agency complained about inconsistent data provided by local authorities.
"The local government must have accurate information about the quake victims to accelerate the rescuers in helping the victims," the agency coordinator, Teo Kwang Joo, said on Friday.
International aid continues to flow into Bengkulu. South Korea granted US$30,000 to the government on Friday. New Zealand sent NZ$200,000 to Indonesia.
Other countries which have pledged aid include Japan, China, Turkey, South Africa, Malaysia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the United States, Canada and Australia.
The Dutch government contributed Rp 650,000,000 to the relief effort, apart from sending the Hr Ms Van Nes warship.
Separately, Ministry of Health's Director General of Food and Drug Control Sampurno claimed that medical supplies in the province were enough. He said the government had allocated Rp 5 billion worth of medical supplies for national emergency.
On Friday nine pharmaceutical companies, under the Association of Indonesian Pharmaceutical Companies, donated some Rp 500 million worth of medicine, comprising antibiotics, antipyretics, antibacterial medicine, analgesics, diarrhea medication, vitamins and intravenous solutions. (10/25/prb)