Names of RI SARS victims released

Names of RI SARS victims released

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta

The government finally announced on Thursday the identity of
three Indonesians who died of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS) in Taiwan, five days after their deaths were first
reported.

Foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda told a press briefing on
Thursday that the three Indonesians were identified as Sri
Rejeki, Ubaidiyah, and Rosita, all nurses working at a Taipei
hospital.

"The families of the deceased have been informed, but we
cannot give more details," the minister said.

Hassan said another Indonesian victim, identified as Elvy
Naturahyani, was being treated in Taipei.

The minister further said that the remains of the three
Indonesian nurses had been cremated several days ago as it was
the procedure in Taiwan.

"It was difficult for us to get detailed information earlier
because we only have a trade representative office in the
country," Hassan reasoned.

Indonesia has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan due to its
acceptance of the one-China policy. Both countries only have
trade representative offices to handle problems arising between
both countries.

The deaths of the three nurses were first reported on Sunday
but only on Thursday were their identities clear.

On Wednesday, Minister for Manpower and Transmigration Jacob
Nuwa Wea said only one Indonesian worker had died of the deadly
disease in Taiwan.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to curtail the spread of SARS,
the government plans to establish a laboratory to detect the
virus in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara.

"The laboratory would be available for initial etiology tests
for SARS," said secretary to the director general for
communicable diseases eradication and environment health (P2M),
Syafii Anwar, on Thursday.

However, for further laboratory tests, Indonesia would rely on
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta,
United States.

Syafii asserted that so far there was no community
transmission occurring in the country.

The latest patient, an 81-year old Indonesian man who had just
returned from Singapore, classified as a SARS-observed case, was
detected in a hospital in Batam.