TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The evacuees of Lombok earthquake are facing malaria epidemic, which has rapidly spread in West Lombok Regency. Earlier, four malaria cases were found in Bukit Tinggi Village, Gunung Sari, West Lombok Regency.
President Jokowi visited the area several days ago when the disease had spread to Mekar Sari Village, which was located in the same district. Thirty two people tested positive for malaria in the village.
According to the West Lombok Health Agency, a total of 103 people had contracted malaria and the disease had kept spreading, affecting 28 sub-villages, 10 villages, and four areas under the local health community center (Puskesmas).
Five of the residents have been hospitalized. “Considering the number of patients who suffer malaria and it also infected pregnant woman and babies, this is malaria outbreak, an extraordinary case,” said Health Agency head Rahman Sahnan Putra.
Rahman said he had reported to the West Lombok regent and there would be no problem should the region status be elevated as KLB, or an outbreak, due to malaria. Personally, he added, the region's image was not that big of an issue compared to the necessary effort to save the refugees. “This is about human lives,” he underlined.
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West Lombok Regent Fauzan Khalid has seconded the statement. According to him, the KLB status due to the outbreak would not be detrimental to the area as long as it would benefit the evacuees.
“If the KLB status can massively serve the community, then why not? That is why we always call for assistence for the temporary houses,” he said.
Rahman went on to say that he had reported the case to the Health Ministry's Crisis Center, but there was no response yet. “But the directorate generals answered us,” he said, adding that the directorate generals of disease prevention and control (P2P) and public health had mobilized their teams in West Lombok.
Rahman said he also received support from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). "The BNPB helped us with 135 mosquito nets, but we need more,” he said. From the mapping, as many as 10,000 mosquito nets are needed for the Lombok quake evacuees.
SUPRIYANTHO KHAFID