T

he thick haze that has blanketed parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan for months has caused hundreds of thousands of residents to suffer respiratory and other diseases.

Pekanbaru Health Agency head Helda S. Munir said 10,932 people in the provincial capital of Riau, had been treated for acute respiratory infections (ISPA) and other haze-related illnesses, such as skin and eye irritations in the past two months.

'€œISPA patients alone amount to 9,636 people. The data was collected from 12 community health centers in the city'€™s 12 districts,'€ Helda said.

Meanwhile, the number of ISPA patients in North Penajam Paser regency in East Kalimantan has increased from 1,733 people in July to 2,194 people in August.

The regency'€™s health agency head Arnold Wayong said the increase in ISPA patients was believed to be due to the haze that has shrouded North Penajam Paser for months.

According to data from the Health Ministry, the number of ISPA patients from June to October in Riau Islands stood at 45,668; in Jambi the figure was 69,734; South Sumatra, 83,276; West Kalimantan, 43,477; South Kalimantan, 29,104; and 29,104 in South Kalimantan.

Arnold said most of the ISPA patients were children aged between 1 and 4. '€œWe have asked community health centers to call on people to wear masks,'€ he said as quoted by Antara news agency.

While many authorities have stressed the importance of wearing masks to avoid respiratory illnesses, many people are reportedly reluctant to use them.

Many residents, including mothers with babies, in Solok, West Sumatra, were seen not to be wearing masks. '€œThere has been distribution of masks [by the local government], but people don'€™t want to wear them,'€ Syahril, a resident, said.

Students in Pekanbaru were also reportedly reluctant to wear masks for long periods, claiming they caused breathing difficulties.

The air pollution has continued to get worse, reaching '€œdangerous'€ levels in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra, on Tuesday.

Sawahlunto Environment Agency head Iwan Kartiwan said the air pollution standard index (ISPU) had touched the '€œdangerous'€ level as the haze density was recorded at 347 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3).

'€œWe have reported the data to the city'€™s health agency and the disaster mitigation agency for them to take measures,'€ Iwan said

According to the ISPU, a haze density level between 101 and 199 µg/m3 is categorized as '€œunhealthy'€, while between 200 and 300 µg/m3 is '€œvery unhealthy'€ and over 300 µg/m3 is '€œdangerous'€.

North Sumatra Environment Agency also reported that the air quality had been deteriorating in many areas in the province on Tuesday. '€œAir pollution in Medan and surrounding areas is the worst because of the haze that continues to blanket North Sumatra,'€ said agency head Hidayati.

Besides causing illnesses, the haze also disrupted flights in some small airports in North Sumatra, including Aek Godang Airport in Padang Sidempuan regency.

Visibility at the airport amounted to 500 meters at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

The haze has been blamed on smoke from peat land and forest fires in South Sumatra.

'€” Syofiardi Bachyul JB contributed to the story from Solok, West Sumatra.