Jamboree running out of medicine

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)