Access to hospitalized gift handout chaos victims blocked

Tarakan Hospital in Central Jakarta, where two victims injured during the chaos at at the handing out of free gifts at Governor Fauzi Bowo's open house at Jakarta City Hall were treated, has put up tight security to guard the patients' room.

Journalists from The Jakarta Post and other media were not allowed access Friday to interview the victims, Sateni and Dati, who were treated at the 5th floor of the city-owned hospital.

The room was only occupied by the two women although four other beds were vacant.

Sateni, 38, and Dati, 50, both from Plumpang, North Jakarta, were injured when thousands of Jakartans, mostly women and children, swarmed the city hall and struggled to get one of the 6,000 staple food packages and Rp 40,000 (US$4) cash gifts, handed out for Idul Fitri on Monday.

The event ended with a stampede after people surged forward, afraid the gifts had run out. The dozens of security guards and police officers were significantly outnumbered.

The hospital officials put tight security measures starting from the elevator door at the floor. Every person coming out of the elevator was asked about their intention by two security guards.

"They don't let me in, I don't know why. They should have let me, because it's already visiting hour now. Maybe because there are two stampede victims," Dodi, a Jakartan who wanted to visit his treated relative, told the Post.

The guards let the Post in but only up to the outside of the victims' room. There were two more guards inside the room.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I can't let you in. My boss ordered us not to let anybody talk with them without permission from top level management," Anton, one of the guards, said.

Anton also said that the victims talking to the press was strictly prohibited, based on his boss' order.

The Post observed from the window that Sateni and Dati were in good condition. Sateni sat on his bed, talking to Dati who was lying on her bed, in front of Sateni's.

The two smiled and waved to the window.

"I think they have recovered, but I don't know when they will be sent home," Anton said.

A number of activists from a group of NGOs were also prohibited from visiting the victims on Thursday.

On Friday the activists tried again and this time the officials allowed three of them to talk to the victims but under supervision of the hospital top officials, headed by the Deputy Director of Service Sutirto Basuki.

"After almost one hour of waiting, they let three of us in. But we couldn't talk comfortably as they were watching us," Edi Saidi, the group spokesman, said.

Edi, of the Urban Poor Consortium, suspected the officials of having told the victims not to speak negatively of the incident.

"We asked 'Are you disappointed with the incident?' They answered 'No.' We asked 'Are you hurt?', and again, 'No.' That's strange," Edi said.

Both Sateni and Dati suffered broken bones and other wounds. Dati's face was injured.

Sutirto, however, denied that they had isolated the victims. "It's the doctor who told us not to let them talk to people," he said. (bbs)