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Emergence of child healer claims three human lives
Thousands of people from remote areas in the province and Central Java were denied access to the residence of a child health practitioner in Jombang on Tuesday following another death from a stampede a day before
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Thousands of people from remote areas in the province and Central Java were denied access to the residence of a child health practitioner in Jombang on Tuesday following another death from a stampede a day before.
Hundreds of police personnel deployed to the site Monday drove away the visitors and barred them from approaching the residence of Mohammad Ponari in Kedungsari village, Megaluh district.
Most said they came to the village to cure their illnesses after receiving information on the child, but they did know about the incident and security authorities' banning.
Somewhat similar to the Pasuruan tragedy last September, Muhtashor, a 54-year-old resident of Kertosono village in Blitar, died at the Swadana General Hospital in Jombang. Tens of others were rushed to hospital after they were involved in a crowded rush to Ponari's residence to receive medical treatment.
The incident followed the death of two people on Saturday and Sunday two weeks ago when thousands of people suffering from various diseases were involved in a crowded rush to reach Ponari's home in the village. Rumiadi, 58, resident of Sumberrejo, Purwodari district, Kediri and Nuruf Niftadi, 42, died in the stampedes.
According to doctors at the general hospital, the victims could not breathe among the crowd that formed a 10-kilometer queue leading to the home.
Information on Ponari as an alternative health practitioner has spread quickly throughout the province by word of mouth after he helped cure various diseases.
Ponari, a third grader of a state-owned elementary school in the village and son of the couple of Kasim, 40, and Mukaromah, 28, received numerous visits after he reportedly healed villagers suffering from fevers by making them drink water into which a miraculous stone was put.
According to Ponari's grandmother, Ponari found the stone, which was as big as a chicken egg, in his yard. He decided to keep the stone after it returned home three times after he threw it away.
As many as 21 people died and dozens of others were injured in the Pasuruan tragedy during the fasting month last September, when thousands of poor villagers crowded to obtain Rp 20,000 (US$2.1) in alms from a local philanthropist.
Megaluh Police head Adj. Comr. Sutikno said that learning from the Pasuruan tragedy, the police decided to close the village from visitors.
Meanwhile, Balongsari village head Nila Cahyani regretted the closure of the alternative medical service which contributed to the income of villagers for parking and food stands.
"At least 8,000 cars were parked in the village every day," she said.
Suyatman, a patient of Ponari, regretted the closure by the police of Ponari's health practice. He suffered from diabetes, but he said he felt better after meeting with Ponari.
Bagong Suyanto, a sociologist from Airlangga University, said he appreciated Ponari's service. He said it was a phenomenon expressing the people's skepticism of the expensive modern medication and simultaneously their Javanese belief in magical power in addressing their problems.
