Medicine shortage threatens quake victims
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
A severe lack of medicine is threatening the lives of dozens of injured victims of the earthquake that rocked Simeulue island, 400 kilometers from Sumatra's northern tip, on Saturday.
Doctor Faisal from the Simeulue Public Hospital said Sunday that 65 people were being treated at the hospital, some of whom were in a critical condition and were in dire need of medicine.
"Those in a critical condition will be operated on as soon as possible," Faisal told The Jakarta Post by telephone Sunday.
As of midday Sunday, the hospital had received no medicine from either Aceh or North Sumatra. Medical staff were still waiting for oxygen tubes for 11 seriously injured victims.
"We have ordered oxygen from Sibolga, but we have not received it," command post coordinator Muhammad Riswan said in Sinabang on Sunday.
He said the Aceh chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) would send medical aid by land from Banda Aceh to the Meulaboh seaport in Aceh, from where the medicine would be ferried to Sinabang, the regency capital. "The medicine is scheduled to reach Sinabang on Tuesday."
According to Faisal, all the victims undergoing medical treatment were sleeping outside the hospital building amid fears it would collapse.
"We urgently need blankets, intravenous medicine, baby food, and tents," Faisal said.
Until Sunday evening, at least three people had been confirmed dead in the quake. They were Jumaya, 60; Badai, 31, and a child whose identity is yet to be determined. Jumaya and Badai were from Sinabang district.
The actual number of dead may still rise as reports from other districts in the regency had not arrived yet.
"There may be others trapped under rubble. We cannot get to them as the roads are bad," head of Simeulue Public Hospital Dr. Hanif told AP.
The island has about 66,000 inhabitants and is accessible by boats and a small airline service, which runs once a week.
The quake has left 6,804 people homeless and destroyed 950 homes, 23 school buildings, and 21 mosques. Electricity on the island had not returned and telephone lines were still down on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a heavy downpour on Sunday morning forced thousands of people to run to the hills amid fears of a tidal wave.
"There are about 4,500 people who last night fled to the mountains and hills fearing that tsunami waves would follow the earthquake Saturday morning," Simeulue island district chief Darmili told AFP.
He said experts said the possibility of a tsunami was very small but it was hard to dissuade villagers from fleeing to the hills because they cited tsunami strikes following a strong earthquake on the island in 1907.
"We are trying to persuade them to come down and return home," he said.
Local councillor Kasmanuddin said that a light quake had struck at 2.55 a.m. on Sunday, but did not cause panic among residents.
He said that the district of East Simeulue or Sinabang was severely damaged.
Meanwhile, the local administration had began distributing staple foods, including rice, sugar, and instant noodles to those affected by the quake.
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla is expected to visit Simeulue on Monday.