Dengue fever claims 5 lives in Kupang
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara | Tue, 02/07/2012 3:06 PM
While hundreds of people, most of whom are children, are being treated for dengue fever in hospitals and public health centers in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, the disease has claimed five lives in the region during the last two weeks.
The Kupang administration declared the outbreak an extraordinary situation (KLB).
Kupang Mayor Daniel Adu said on Tuesday that he urged public health centers and hospitals in Kupang to be on alert as the number of patients of dengue fever had reached 282.
“The local administration has established emergency posts to give first aid to residents,” he said.
He cited locations that have been declared as endemic areas, including the districts of Kuanino, Oetete, Oesapa, Kelapa Lima, as well as Pasir Panjang and Oebobo subdistricts.
Kupang health agency head Ary Wijana said that the agency had allocated more than Rp 500 million (US$55,500) to overcome the outbreak.
“We’ll soon conduct fumigation in endemic areas,” he said, adding that the agency had given away powder sachets to locals and had provided consultation.
The agency recorded 511 dengue patients in 2007, nine of whom died. (swd)
