Respiratory diseases kill 229

Respiratory diseases kill 229

WAMENA, Irian Jaya: Respiratory diseases have killed 229 people since January in two subdistricts in the Jayawijaya regency, an official said over the weekend.

Jayawijaya regent J.B. Wenas said that the diseases claimed 120 lives in the Okbibab subdistrict and another 109 in the Wamena subdistrict of Trikora.

He said a complete picture of the epidemic affecting the two subdistricts is difficult to obtain because of the absence of communication facilities.

"The report on the epidemic came too late because of poor communication and transportation," Antara quoted Wenas as saying. He added that the government has sent medical personnel and supplied medicine to the stricken areas.

Wenas said the local administration was also in need of 10 tons of rice to help people the isolated areas.

Minister of Health Sujudi said on Friday that there was no such epidemic in the regency and that the death tolls were the accumulated number of deaths in the two districts since November. He added that the deaths could have been caused not only by respiratory disease but by malaria, diarrhea and influenza.

The number of deaths is uncertain and a team from Jakarta is still investigating the matter, he reported. (rms)