Watch out, it's flu pandemic!

Luh De Suriyani ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Wed, 05/20/2009 1:37 PM  |  Bali

Hundreds of medical staff at six command centers in six cities in Indonesia were hysterical after hearing the deadly influenza virus had affected many people in Medan, North Sumatra; Serang, Banten; Semarang, Central Java; Yogyakarta and Bandung, West Java.

In the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta, the command center was much busier as it received calls for help from the archipelago's remote provinces. Jakarta immediately distributed 100,000 Tamiflu antiviral drugs and sent a helicopter to speedily evacuate affected victims located in far-away places across Indonesia.

Two of the medical staff on duty at the Jakarta command center had to be quarantined after showing flu symptoms. The others dressed in special uniforms and equipped with surgical masks were screening people entering the center.

Luckily, this was just a scenario in a simulation jointly organized by the UNICEF and the National Commission for Avian Flu Control and Preparedness for Pandemic in Sanur on Tuesday.

The simulation involved 36 participants from various government institutions from four regions in Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara.

"This is an entirely different situation. We are trained to prepare and anticipate any possible natural or man-made disasters," said Maduseno Widyo, head of Central Java's Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency.

"But, we don't have any information or knowledge on how to face a pandemic."

A member of the commission said the preparation and coordination required to manage a pandemic was different from that of a natural disaster.

Actually, the preparedness and monitoring of a non-natural disaster has been included in the 2007 law on disaster management.

"However, the law does not yet cover pandemic situations," he said.

When dealing with a natural disaster, one can predict the number of the victims based on the size of the population and affected areas.

"But, in a pandemic situation, we really cannot predict what will happen next, especially when we don't have adequate knowledge and expertise on how to prevent and properly control the pandemic," he added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is close to naming the H1N1 Influenza - affecting more than 5,000 people across the world - a global pandemic.

According to Suzanna Dayne, UNICEF's communication specialist for Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic, simulation activities need to be frequently implemented in Indonesia, which "is vulnerable to any natural and non-natural disaster because of its geographical situation".

"If a pandemic occurs in Indonesia, the country needs to be able to deal with on its own. Indonesia is experienced in dealing with natural disasters," she said.

The country has to train itself to be prepared for a pandemic. Indonesia must not panic but needs to train its agencies to deal with the issue.

The simulation will train medical and non-medical personnel to minimize the social and economic impact of a pandemic.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.