Govt imports 1m masks from China in anti-SARS drive

Govt imports 1m masks from China in anti-SARS drive

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With the battle to contain the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) intensifying, the government will import at least
one million surgical masks later this week, an official said.

"We expect at least one million masks to arrive this week. The
masks will be given mainly to suspected SARS patients, their
families and those who have the potential to spread SARS,"
Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi said on Wednesday.

Sujudi said the masks cost Rp 2,500 (US$28 cents) each, but
did not specify whether the masks would be sold or distributed
for free to suspected SARS patients.

The government said earlier that it would shoulder all medical
costs for people suspected to be infected with SARS.

State-owned pharmaceutical firms such as PT Kimia Farma and PT
Indofarma will handle the imported masks, which will be coming
from China, Sujudi said, adding that the masks would not come
from SARS-affected Guangdong province.

"The masks are not the N-95 standard masks recommended by the
World Health Organization, but they will help minimize the spread
of SARS," Sujudi said.

Separately, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf
Kalla was quoted by news portal detik.com as saying that the
government had allotted Rp 20 billion (US$2.2 million) to
purchase masks.

The money will be taken from the 2003 state budget's Rp 120
billion emergency fund, the minister said.

The government announced on Tuesday that the number of
suspected SARS cases was increasing, but said it was working to
improve its preventative measures to curb the spread.

As of Wednesday, the number of suspected SARS patients in the
country had reached 17, up from 16 the previous day.

Seven patients are being treated at the Sulianti Saroso
Infectious Diseases Hospital in North Jakarta, one at the
Banyumas Hospital in Central Java, and one at the Muwardi
Hospital in Surakarta, Central Java.

The other eight patients have been allowed to return home, but
are still required to report to a designated hospital to have
their health monitored.

Hospitals across the country designated as SARS clinics have
been told to prepare more isolation rooms in anticipation of a
possible increase in the number of suspected SARS patients.

So far, SARS has infected 2,774 people in 17 countries, 103 of
whom have died.

The Asia-Africa ministerial meeting planned for next week in
Bandung, West Java, was postponed partly due to the SARS threat.
And many airlines, including Garuda Indonesia and Merpati
Airlines, have reduced their flights to Singapore because of
SARS.

The minister of health said the government would announce on
Thursday the results of clinical tests and X-ray verifications of
suspected SARS patients. The tests were performed on Wednesday.

"We will not wait for verification from the Centers for
Disease Control on specimens from the suspected SARS patients.
Our team will examine suspected SARS patients based on an
improved clinical test and X-rays, which is better than the
criteria set by WHO," Sujudi said.

Among the criteria established by the World Health
Organization for a SARS case to be verified is the stipulation
that a SARS patient must have a contact history in a SARS-
affected country.

The government also has established a team to trace the
earlier movements of declared SARS patients, Sujudi said.

"This team will try to localize the spread of SARS once a SARS
patient is found," he said

The minister also urged citizens to stop spitting in public as
part of the campaign to prevent the spread of the deadly flu-like
illness.

"SARS is a threat and we have to be careful.

"Wash your hands and do not spit in public. If you spit in
public, then the illness can spread to other people."