Medicine shortage threatens quake victims

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.