Irian Jaya 'needs more schools, hospitals'

Irian Jaya 'needs more schools, hospitals'

JAKARTA (JP): Irian Jaya badly needs more education and health
facilities to help the underdeveloped territory catch up with
other provinces, a politician and a church minister said
yesterday.

Sabam Sirait, a former member of the House of Representatives
for the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and Karel Phil Erari, a
Protestant minister, agreed that health and education were the
most neglected aspects in the development of Irian Jaya.

"The state budget allocated for education has never reached 10
percent" (of the national education budget) "in the last 30 years
of the country's development," Sabam told a discussion on
development in Irian Jaya held in Jakarta.

Poor terms and conditions, and the hardship of living in
isolated regions make few teachers interested in dedicating
themselves to education in Irian Jaya, he said.

"There must be enough incentives to make teaching in Irian
Jaya a rewarding and enjoyable career", he added.

"The education and health budget should be at least doubled",
he told around 30 participants of yesterday's discussion, co-
organized by Perkusi discussion club and Irian Jaya youths
association.

Erari, who also addressed the discussion, said he agreed with
Sabam. He said Irian Jaya needed a Christian university, more
elementary and high schools and vocational training centers.

To promote public health, the church plans to establish a
Christian hospital and is looking into which regions are most in
need of community health centers, Erari added.

Public health problems in Irian Jaya came into the spotlight
last year when tens of thousands of indigenous people, living
mostly in remote villages, suffered from disease and food
shortages during last year's prolonged drought. Over 600 people
reportedly died in the regencies of Jayawijaya, Merauke, Puncak
Jaya and Mimika.

Yesterday, Antara reported that five people had died in a new
outbreak of diarrhea in Merauke. Ninety-nine people are being
treated in Amagatsu village, Merauke, where at least 82 people
are thought to have died from the same disease last year.

The sick are being treated by paramedics, dispatched by the
local health office in Merauke, at houses in the village, Antara
said.

Chief of the Merauke health office, Basri, told the news
agency that this latest outbreak began early this month. There is
no community health center in the village, he said. (aan)