More asthma patients recorded

JAKARTA: The Ministry of Health has recorded 5.5 million asthma patients this year, a 10 percent increase from last year's figure.

"The number is increasing, which tells us that we cannot underestimate asthma and have to start finding ways to cope with the disease," health minister Achmad Sujudi said on Saturday.

A recent study conducted at Persahabatan Hospital in East Jakarta revealed that both children and adults who suffered from asthma took an average of three days off from either school or work per month. -- JP