Tanjung Lesung Resort Hotel responds

Tanjung Lesung Resort Hotel responds

I would like to reply to Mr. Frank Richardson's letter that
appeared in The Jakarta Post on May 17, 1999. Mr. Richardson and
his wife have contracted malaria and I would like to wish them a
speedy recovery. However, I would also like to correct a number
of points raised by Mr. Richardson in the letter. Mr. Richardson
believes he contracted malaria while staying at the hotel. I
strongly refute this and would like to state that it is next to
impossible that they contracted malaria while at the hotel. The
reasons for this are as follows:

First, since our opening, we have employed Dr. Soesilo
Soerjosembodo, MPH, who was previously director of infectious
diseases eradication at the Ministry of Health. Dr. Soesilo has
been responsible for infectious disease control in Irian Jaya and
Kalimantan as well as the coordinator for disease control in
Irian Jaya and Kalimantan. Dr. Soesilo works at the hotel to
ensure that our staff and guests are not likely to contract
malaria.

Second, as people are the primary carriers of malaria we have
ensured that there are no village settlements near or around the
hotel area. In the nearest village, which is five kilometers away
and where Dr. Soesilo works, we conduct weekly door-to-door house
testing to detect any signs of malaria.

Third, in the hotel resort itself, we conduct daily pesticide
and fog spraying to control other insects within the hotel.

Fourth, these efforts mean that the incidence of malaria
within the hotel area is less than 0.09 percent Annual Parasite
Index (API). Dr. Soesilo says that an API this low indicates that
there is no public health problem associated with malaria in this
area. Furthermore, Dr. Soesilo guarantees that since the hotel
opened there have been no cases of malaria and neither are there
ever expected to be.

As general manager of the hotel, I take the health and safety
of my staff and guests very seriously indeed. I have lived here
for nearly a year and another expatriate has lived here for over
three years. Neither of us have ever contracted malaria.

However, we do consider ourselves blessed to be living in a
place of such tranquility and beauty and warmly welcome any
Jakartans who need a break to come and experience the beauty,
tranquility and safety of Tanjung Lesung Resort Hotel for
themselves.

MARK REES

General Manager

Tanjung Lesung Resort Hotel

West Java