TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Ministry’s director of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said there are a number of factors causing the high death toll due to dengue fever in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

As the most-affected area, Siti explained that Sikka is geographically located far from Maumere City where the only officially appointed hospital is located is roughly two-hours away.

“The [timing] accuracy in determining when to refer a patient is the key,” said Nadia at the Health Ministry’s headquarters on Wednesday.

Apart from the timing factor, the preparation of the medical staff in providing services is also important as a sudden spike in dengue fever patients can potentially happen. However, the third factor is the most determining of all, which is the local’s reluctance to be referred to the hospital in Maumere.

The latter factor is said to be one of the causes of the high number of deaths among children with dengue fever as the illness becomes worse each time a family refuses to take their ill child to the hospital.

Up to Wednesday, the Health Ministry recorded 17,820 cases of dengue fever across Indonesia with 104 deaths. The highest number of dengue fever cases is at Lampung Province with 3,423 cases in six regencies and cities while East Nusa Tenggara ranks second with 2,711 cases of dengue fever, however, NTT unfortunately ranks first in its death toll.

ANTARA