Govt calls for blood for dengue sufferers

JAKARTA (JP): Alarmed by the rising death toll in the nationwide dengue fever outbreak, government officials made a fresh call yesterday for the public to donate blood.

Dengue fever has particularly affected Java and South Sulawesi. Close to 200 people have reportedly died and thousands of others have been hospitalized so far this year.

Hospitals in affected areas have been asked to spare more spaces for dengue patients. The epidemic is predicted to reach its peak next month or in June.

In Jakarta, where the death toll climbed to 54 yesterday, the administration will require its civil servants to donate blood to help the 5,680 people currently in hospital suffering from the disease.

Deputy Governor for Social Welfare Affairs Djailani said yesterday that demand for blood from the local chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross had risen sharply over the past week.

City Red Cross chief Uga Wiranto reported Wednesday that blood supply was very low and that her understaffed office had to toil round the clock to meet the demand.

"From now on donating blood will be made a regular event for every city government office throughout the year, not only during dengue outbreaks," Djailani said.

"Donating blood will be a main feature of every office's anniversary."

The nationwide campaign for blood donations to help dengue patients was first called by Minister of Social Affairs Siti Hardijanti Rukmana here Wednesday.

In the East Java capital of Surabaya, the local Red Cross is issuing 90 blood bags, which contain 250cc each, every day, local Red Cross chief Budi Arifa said.

Budi reported that the number of cases of dengue fever in the coastal city was increasing every day, prompting the Red Cross to work extra hard to ensure an adequate supply of blood.

"We have called on the people, especially patients' relatives to donate their blood," she said.

In the South Sulawesi capital of Ujungpandang, health officials reported yesterday that as of Wednesday, 19 of the approximately 600 people treated for dengue so far this year had died.

The head of the provincial health office, Burhanuddin Yusuf, told The Jakarta Post that the government was intensifying efforts to eradicate Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit the dengue virus.

Health authorities in Yogyakarta said four more people died in hospital of dengue yesterday, bringing the number of local fatalities to 48.

Local activists of environmental organizations and politicians urged the local government to do more to control the outbreak.

"Dengue has claimed dozens of lives. The government should act without delay to end the epidemic," said Marfuah Djamal, a city council member.

In Bogor, West Java, the death toll reached 25 yesterday and about 800 people were hospitalized, officials said.

Bogor Mayor Eddy Gunardi criticized hospitals which asked patients' relatives for a down payment.

"How can a hospital committed to humanitarian work ask for a down payment?" he asked.

He said the mayoralty had set up alert posts in 68 subdistrict offices to monitor the development of the dengue fever outbreak.

The alert posts would also be asked to distribute free abate powder to residents to kill the Aedes aegypti larvae.

The mayoralty plans to fumigate the worst hit areas, including Kebon Pedes, Lawang Gintung, Kedung Halang, Kedung Badak, Kedung Waringin and Ciparigi.

Nine community health centers in the regency were asked to open around the clock.

In Tangerang, where dengue has so far claimed 19 lives and hospitalized 557 others, hospitals have been asked to prepare more rooms for the increasing number of patients.

Tangerang General Hospital has increased the number of medical personnel to handle the streaming patients.

In Semarang, officials said the disease had killed 62 people and affected another 2,259 in Central Java. (ind/aan/jun/30/23/24/41/edt)