Quick medical attention saves children's lives

Quick medical attention saves children's lives

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

Fitriyah looked tenderly upon the face of her nine-year-old
daughter Winda Kuswati. She shooed away the flies that buzzed
around the hospital room and pulled the black shawl she had
brought from home around Winda's shoulders.

"Shhh -- please sleep baby," she whispered.

Winda is one of thousands of dengue patients in Surabaya city.

When The Jakarta Post visited her recently, the
girl smiled weakly, a Patrick doll -- a character from the
cartoon Sponge Bob Square Pants -- nestled in beside her. "Winda
is happy that somebody is taking the time to visit," said
Fitriyah.

She said her daughter had been hospitalized not long after she
spotted signs of the disease on her body, "I read in the
newspaper that many children die due to belated medical
treatment".

For Fitriyah, approaching the hospital was a tough decision as
the family's income is low.

"I was relieved when the local administration declared the
outbreak an extraordinary situation. This means that medical
treatment for dengue patients is free," she said.