Paramedic team cancels Ambon trip

Paramedic team cancels Ambon trip

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): Dozens of paramedics have
canceled a planned trip to the riot-torn Maluku capital of Ambon
due to continued clashes, which have so far killed at least 16
people, an official said.

The coordinator of the medical team from Wahidin Sudirohusodo
Hospital in the capital of South Sulawesi, Razak Thaha, told The
Jakarta Post on Monday, that at least 10 surgeons and
anesthetists had been ready to replace four paramedics dispatched
to Ambon in January.

"The doctors are reluctant (to go to Ambon) as the military
cannot guarantee their personal safety," Razak said.

Renewed clashes between Muslims and Christians broke out on
Feb. 23 in the downtown Batu Merah village, after at least two
houses owned by Christians were set on fire by Molotov cocktails
thrown by Muslims from an overlooking hill.

Paramedics in Ambon told Razak that they were having
difficulties, as they, too, were sometimes threatened by various
groups of people.

The paramedics are now concentrated in a military hospital and
a number of refuge centers.

The medical team who were due to leave for Ambon were
discouraged by accounts of clashes in the riot-torn city.

"A doctor who has just returned from Ambon is still disturbed
by what he saw in the city," Razak said.

He described how his colleague, Nur Alim, who has had 20 years
experience as a surgeon, had the grisly task of dealing with two
headless bodies.

Meanwhile, the head of the Maluku office of the health
ministry, Sayuti, said on Monday that a number of doctors in
Ambon have either taken refuge in military facilities or have
left the city fearing further unrest.

Thousands of people have taken refuge in mosques, churches and
military facilities since the violence broke out in mid-January.
Thousands of others have fled the city on ships for their
hometowns in Southeast Sulawesi and South Sulawesi.

In Jakarta, Minister of Health Farid A. Moeloek said he has
requested Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces (ABRI)
Commander Gen. Wiranto to deploy more doctors at military
hospitals in Maluku.

Authorities said more than 150 people had been killed and more
than 350 injured since the Muslim-Christian clashes erupted in
the province in mid-January.

Unrest has also been flaring up in various regions including
West Kalimantan. In a related development, National Police chief
Gen. Roesmanhadi said here on Monday that eight police chiefs in
West Kalimantan were replaced last month because they were not
"firm" in handling unrest.

Roesmanhadi said he had replaced chief of West Kalimantan
police Col. Darsono, Pontianak police chief Lt. Col. Octovianus
Farfar and six other chiefs of local sub-precincts.

"(The dismissals) show we're not fooling around with our
commands," he said.

Various factors, such as the geographical terrain and the kind
of unrest that occurred, were taken into consideration.

"In areas where is no geographical hindrance but where police
officers continue to fail (in law and order requirements),
substitutions should be made," he said. (27/byg/prb/emf)