Six die of inflammation

LOA JANAN, East Kalimantan: Six people from Batuah village, located in Bukit Soeharto, Kutai, have died of intestinal inflammation this month, due to a lack of medical attention.

"What is most concerning is that doctors at the village community health center are rarely there. Villagers aren't getting the proper medical treatment they need," village elder Daeng Mude said as quoted by Antara.

"We ask for the government's attention in this matter because not only are doctors rarely there but out of the 23 villagers that have been suffering from diarrhea, six have died," he said during a field visit by Governor H.M. Ardans yesterday.

The governor immediately told the Kutai regent, Sulaiman, to take immediate relief action.

Since the beginning of this month some 4,000 people in the province have suffered from diarrhea of which 23 have died. (mds)