R

egional authorities took various measures on Tuesday to help prevent the possible spread of the deadly and dangerous swine flu to their respective areas.

The measures included, the strict imposition of checking and screening of incoming passengers at international airports, intensive inspection of the transportation of pigs to the plan to destroy all food and snacks made of pig meat.

On Tuesday, Bali province office held an emergency meeting involving health authorities, operators of airports and harbors, trade office, animal husbandry and security officials to deal with possible swine flu outbreaks on the island.

Bali Health Office Head I Nyoman Sutedja urged airport and harbor authorities to strictly impose checking and screening of passengers, especially those coming from the affected countries like Mexico and North America. "We have to anticipate any visitors before they visit Bali," said Sutedja.

IGN Putra Wibawa, spoke person of Sanglah Public Hospital, confirmed that it has prepared four isolation rooms equipped with high-tech medical equipments to treat any patient with swine flu symptoms.

At the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II airport in Palembang, South Sumatra, the officials installed body temperature detection unit to screen passengers, especially those arriving from other countries.

"We strive hard to prevent the disease from entering South Sumatra," said Yon Sugiono, general manager of state airport management company PT Angkasa Pura II.

The problem is that all the detection and screening is still conducted manually due to the inability to provide modern equipment, he said.

A similar condition was found at the Sepinggan airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, and Selaparang airport in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, where screening were intended mainly for passengers from overseas.

Tens of Singapore Airlines passengers were asked to undergo the swine flu inspection at the Sepinggan airport's international terminal.

Passengers, the majority of whom were expatriates from various countries, followed the instruction from four doctors and 35 health staffs of the Balikpapan Health Office without any resistance.

"The inspection is intended to check their body temperature. If any of them will be declared suspects if their temperature exceeds 39 degrees of celcius," Hastuti Untari, head of the Balikpapan Health Office, adding that the suspected patients would be sent to Kanudjoso Djatiwibowo Hospital to get medical treatment.

Head of the Selaparang airport's health office Auliyanto said that each passenger entering the international terminal is required to under the checking.

"This is an anticipative step for West Nusa Tenggara as of the tourist destination areas," he said.

In a related development, the South Sumatra Animal Husbandry Office planned to destroy all food products made of pig meat from other areas and to strengthen the traffic of pigs to the province.

Asrilazi, head of the office, said that he would summon all heads of animal husbandry offices and veterinarians throughout South Sumatra for briefing about the disease.

The office's data shows there are 29,957 pigs raised in South Sumatra, expecially in the regencies of Musi Rawas, Ogan Komering Ilir and East Ogan Komering Ulu.

In Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, the agriculture quarantine agency intensified inspection on the transportation of pigs at several airports providing flight services to Bali and 15 sea ports, Farin Hermansah, head of the agency said in on Tuesday.

All baggages borderline area between Indonesia and Timor Lester will also be inspected. "Any pig meat products and piglets found in the inspection will be quarantined to check their health condition," hermansah said.

"We hope all parties to participate in the prevention of any possible swine flu outbreak in the province," he said.

Maria Geong, head of the health section of the East Nusa Tenggara Animal Husbandry Office, said that the provincial administration was serious about swince flu issue because the majority of local people raise pigs to help increase their incomes.

"The province as a population of about 500,000 pigs," she said.

In Pekanbaru, Riau, the local authorities pay watchful eyes on the transportation of pigs from North Sumatra, where pigs were widely raised.

A strict inspection is needed because Riau constitutes a transit point for the transportation of pigs from North Sumatra to Riau Islands.

Up to 2,500 pigs are transported through Riau per month, he said.