Jamboree running out of medicine

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: The supply of medicine for participants of the nine-day National Boy Scout Jamboree 2001 has run out, an official said on Monday at the sixth day of the jamboree.

The head of health services at the jamboree, Choirul Mufied, said the supply of medicine proved to be insufficient because of the unexpectedly high number of jamboree participants seeking medical treatment.

A total of 700 people have been treated at 10 health posts at the jamboree site.

The jamboree, which has attracted some 10,000 boy scouts, was opened by President Abdurrahman Wahid on July 3 and is scheduled to be closed by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri on July 12.

Expressing his concern, Mufied, who is the head of the Banyumas Regency Health Office, said he had asked the provincial health office for more medicine. "Thank God we just received more medicine from Semarang."

Despite the additional medicine, Mufied said between Rp 15 million and Rp 20 million would be needed to buy additional medicines as more patients were expected in the coming days.

The jamboree health office has sent at least 32 people to Margono Sukarjo Hospital for treatment. Eight of these people were still being treated on Monday.

A jamboree participant from North Sumatra, Emiyanti, 15, one of the eight people still being hospitalized, was said to be the most seriously ill.

"How come such an unhealthy person was allowed to join this event? A general checkup should have been performed on her before she was allowed to go," Dr. Mambodiyanto the director of Margono Sukarjo Hospital said.

He said most of the patients sent to the hospital were suffering from anemia, high fever, stomach problems and diarrhea.

"The cold weather and fatigue made their conditions worse," he said. (45/sur)