University doctors join relief efforts in West Timor
University doctors join relief efforts in West Timor
JAKARTA (JP): Diseases caused by undernourishment and a lack
of sanitary conditions have swept through East Timor's refugee
camps in West Timor, a media report says.
Data released by Perdhaki, a nonprofit organization founded by
the Atambua diocese to assist East Timorese refugees with health
care, revealed that 2,811 refugees have respiratory infections,
1,896 have malaria and 1,023 have gastric diseases, the news
agency Antara reported.
Sari Kendar, a Unicef representative in Atambua who cooperates
with Perdhaki, said the world body was paying special attention
to deadly malaria. She said Unicef had not expected malaria to
strike.
"The number of medical doctors are inadequate and the
increasing incidences of malaria were unmonitored," she said
while addressing a meeting with 12 doctors and 24 nurses to be
stationed in Belu and in regencies of north central Timor on
Saturday.
The medical personnel are under contract to serve until May.
"Please keep records on the prevalence of diseases affecting
mothers and children so that we can monitor development in the
future," she said.
West Timor is still accommodating an estimated 110,000 East
Timorese refugees, mostly in areas bordering East Timor. They
fled their homes in the wake of riots following the announcement
of the Aug. 30 ballot. Tens of thousands have been repatriated
under UN supervision.
Perdhaki chief Alexander Kobesi reported that the absence of
medical doctors over the past month in Atambua had aggravated the
health problems of refugees.
Unicef and Perdhaki have established 28 health posts in Belu
and regencies in north central Timor.
"Over the past two months, the posts were handled by only one
doctor and we are happy that more medical personnel have
arrived," he said.
The 12 doctors are from major universities in Java, such as
the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Atma Jaya University in
Jakarta and Diponegoro University in Semarang. The 24 nurses are
from West Timor.
They are free to stay with local residents near the health
posts, in nearby churches or monasteries as long as they are
available 24 hours a day.
The doctors and nurses also campaign for health for the
refugees. (pan)