Suspected bird flu baby patient dies of pneumonia in hospital

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A 20-month-old infant, who was suspected to have contracted avian influenza, died on Wednesday evening after being treated for three days for acute pneumonia at the Sulianti Saroso hospital in Sunter, North Jakarta.

Hospital spokesman Ilham Patu said that the child died after suffering from a respiratory problem.

"We suspect that he died of acute pneumonia. We have sent a blood sample to the health ministry's laboratory. And we will wait for the results to confirm whether he had contracted bird flu or not," he told The Jakarta Post.

The boy was taken on Oct. 2 by his family, who live in Semper, North Jakarta, to the hospital with a high temperature and respiratory problems. His family said that he had a contact with a chicken, which died later of unknown causes.

The boy was moved to the intensive care unit on Oct. 3, but his condition worsened. He died at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and was buried at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Three confirmed bird flu patients have died at the Sulianti Saroso hospital since August, not including the boy.

Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari, as quoted by AFP, confirmed on Thursday that one patient had died last week in Sulianti Saroso hospital due to bird flu even though the WHO had not recorded it and another patient, whose name has not been disclosed, had tested positive for bird flu.

The ministry also announced that a total of 89 people in the country had been admitted to hospital with bird flu symptoms, of which 73 cases were still under investigation, 11 were probable cases and six had tested positive for bird flu, including the four recorded fatalities.

The World Health Organization has so far confirmed only three bird flu fatalities in the country. One other man had tested positive for bird flu but has since recovered.

Ilham said that the hospital had considered the boy a bird flu case and had therefore provided free treatment.

However, the boy's remains were taken home and buried without a coffin -- a requirement for the handling of a bird flu patient's body -- as they could not afford one.

The boy's father said it would have cost him Rp 1.4 million if he had wanted his son to be buried with a coffin.

The boy's father, an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, who earns only Rp 15,000 a day, added that he had to bury his son without a coffin as he could not afford one.

Later that day, the Ministry of Health announced that the government only provided free medication and treatment, while the burial, including the coffin, was the responsibility of the patient's family.

"The medication for a suspected bird flu patient is free of charge but the family has to cover the cost of the coffin and burial," said Nyoman Kandun, the disease and environmental control director at the Ministry of Health.