Gov’t Sends Medical Staff to Combat Dengue Fever in E. Nusa Tenggara

Minister of Health Terawan delivers his press statement after accompanying President Jokowi at the Istiqlal Mosque, Central Jakarta, Friday (13/3). (Photo by: PR / Jay)

In a bid to tackle Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) outbreak, the Government has dispatched a number of medical staff to Sikka regency in East Nusa Tenggara’s Sikka province.

“Besides facing covid-19 outbreak, we are also facing dengue fever outbreak in several provinces, including in East Nusa Tenggara’s Sikka regency with 13 deaths, West Java province, and Lampung province,” Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto sai, at the Istiqlal Mosque, Central Jakarta, Friday (13/3).

To date, Health Minister continued, the number of dengue fever cases has begun to decline as the total number of patients treated at the hospital has also dropped.

“We will take preventive measures, including to apply an eradication of mosquito breeding site (PSN) in several regions. The dengue fever outbreak is dangerous. It has killed more than 100 people across the country,” Terawan said.

On that occasion, Terawan expressed his hope that the public will participate in the efforts to prevent dengue fever infection.

“The dengue incidence should not be ignored, considering that this infectious disease usually affects our children,” he said.

The Minister urged the nation to join hands and fight together against the dengue epidemic so that the country could shift the focus on the coronavirus pandemic.

Terawan went on to say that we should manage our energy to continue the dengue preventive measures. He added that disinfection will be carried out in other places, including public spaces and places of worship.

“For those who are mildly sick, do stay at home. Ministry of Health together with the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), and other relevant ministries will continue to execute preventive and promotive functions,” Terawan said.

Regarding to Sikka regency cases, Terawan said that the Government will send 30 doctors and nurses from the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and Ministry of Health.

“We are making efforts to prevent the increase of deaths number increase and it succeeds. It is recorded that the number of infectious people has begun to fall since the community and the Regional Coordination Agency (Bakorwil) take part in fogging, eradicating mosquito nests, implementing the 3M-plus procedure, or mengubur (to bury), menguras (to drain) and menutup (to cover), as well as keeping the surroundings and the houses clean,” the Minister said.

Terawan further said that the number of dengue fever cases has dropped significantly and the same preventive measures will be carried out for other diseases. He also said that there will be more medical staff, including doctors who will join the Nusantara Sehat (Healthy Indonesia) campaign to strengthen primary health services.

“We will transfer more medical specialists to several regions to handle hard cases,” he said. (MAY / EN)

Translated by: Syarifah Aisyah
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas