UI holds counseling on sea diving

A community service institution from the University of Indonesia (UI) in cooperation with a study group on Health and Work Safety of School Graduates of the university is holding a counseling and hyperbaric survey for traditional fishermen at Panggang Island in the Seribu Islands.

The community service programs, which began yesterday, will last until Sunday.

The body said that traditional fishermen in the Seribu Islands who used to dive to catch tropical fish and pick certain sea plants to make ends meet were exposed to dangerous working conditions because they lacked proper knowledge on deep sea diving.

Reports from the Mintohardjo Naval hospital in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, showed that many of the traditional divers died due to inadequate diving equipment and knowledge.

The four-day community program include counseling on first aid, safe diving and medical tests on the health of the traditional divers.(yns)