Yuli Tri Suwarni and Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, Jakarta | Sat, 11/14/2009 4:00 PM
As the number of patients being admitted to hospital for drug poisoning in West Java steadily increases, Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said Friday she had not yet obtained an official report on the incident.
"I have not received the official report. However, from the preliminary investigation, those who died after taking the *anti-filariasis* pills suffered pre-existing disorders," she said in Jakarta.
"The ministry, the West Java administration and the WHO *World Health Organization* have sent teams to the regency to investigate what happened there," she added.
The minister dismissed reports that the anti-filariasis drugs had expired, citing the country was experienced in treating outreaks of the parasitic disease.
The government had conducted mass treatments for filariasis in 2002, and the country had performed smaller-scale treatments in the 1970s.
"There are 32 million people taking the pills. For West Java alone, about 2.7 million people are expected to take the pills this year," she said, adding that the ministry had never found any complaints against the drug.
Endang suggested those suffering from side-effects after taking the anti-filariasis drugs to go immediately to hospital for further treatment.
Reports of anti-filariasis drug poisoning in Bandung regency have increased four days after the filaria mass medication campaign on Tuesday.
The Bandung Health Office has recorded more than 800 residents have already been treated in community health centers and at the Majalaya and Soreang general hospitals suffering symptoms such as headaches, nausea and vomiting.
Environmental health division head Suhardiman said his office received reports that eight people had died after taking anti-filariasis drugs, comprising diethy carbazine citrate (DEC), albenzole and paracetamol, distributed by the Health Ministry in Jakarta.
Three of the patients died at Soreang General Hospital, two at the Ebah hospital in Majalaya and three in a private hospital and at home.
Suhardiman said the West Java Health Office maintained the main cause of the deaths was due to the patients' own illnesses.
"We have asked their relatives after their deaths were reported and we're certain that they suffered from heart disease, hypertension or diabetes," Suhardiman told The Jakarta Post in Bandung on Friday.
He added the victims were concentrated in Majalaya (the most endemic filariasis-affected area) and surrounding areas, such as Cimaung, Manggahang, Banjaran and Soreang.
Many residents in Cilaja and Sindanglaya villages in Cimenyan district, located more than 10 kilometers from Majalaya, have also complained of side-effects after taking the drugs.
Resident Eti Suryati, 50, said she felt dizzy, nauseous and her upper abdomen ached before she passed out after taking the drugs provided by Family Welfare Movement (PKK) and Family Planning (KB) members in her neighborhood.
"I was asked to take the tablets there and then as they said they had to show the village officers the empty wrappers to make sure residents had taken the drugs. But I soon got a headache and my upper abdomen ached until I fainted," said Eti.
