Malaria claims 60 lives in 6 months in Banyumas

Malaria claims 60 lives in 6 months in Banyumas

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Banyumas

Legislators in the Central Java city of Banyumas have lashed out
at the local administration for not preventing the spread of
malaria that they claim killed at least 60 people last year.

They accused the Banyumas government, particularly the local
health office, of trying to cover up details showing that the
number of people suffering from the tropical disease was rising.

Data obtained by the city's legislative council (DPRD) shows
that malaria attacked around 500 people since June last year,
killing 60.

Senior legislator Musaddad Bikri Noer told a DPRD plenary
meeting in Banyumas on Wednesday that he had received a report
that malaria had killed 14 villagers in less than three months.

"The death toll from malaria between June and December was 60
people. This is what we are questioning now. Why the local
government was too slow in dealing with the disease outbreak?"

Head of the Banyumas health and welfare office Choirul Mufied
said the number of malaria sufferers was recorded at 516 people
between July and December last year.

However, he denied the death toll mentioned by Musaddad,
chairman of the DPRD's Commission E overseeing social affairs,
saying only one of the 516 sufferers died.

Mufied argued that the 60 deaths were possibly caused by other
diseases, not malaria. "What we should remember is that malaria
is an accompanying disease."

He also denied the accusation that his office did not do its
best to stop malaria from spreading. "The government has striven
hard to fight the disease," he said.

Data shows that malaria hit at least 10 villages in five
subdistricts in Banyumas in the last seven months. They included
the villages of Karanggintung, Petarangan and Karang Salam in
Kemranjen subdistrict.

Other affected villages were Ketandak and Bogangin in Sumpiuh
subdistrict; Watu Agung in Tambak subdistrict; Kemawi and
Tanggeran in Somagede subdistrict; and Karang Rau in Banyumas
subdistrict.

Mufied further said his office had coordinated with the
central and provincial health departments to eradicate the
dangerous disease by, among other things, conducting education
programs in the effected villages.

The local health office had also examined villagers and
launched a massive medical operation against malaria, he added.
"We could say now that the disease has been eliminated and there
are no longer any sufferers."