Officers monitoring arrival gates at airports and harbours in Riau have said they are tired from checking the temperature of incoming visitors, done in an effort to prevent the spread of the H1NI virus, despite the Health Ministry's call to continue doing so.
The problem was revealed during a national meeting on the dissemination of Influenza A (H1N1) virus, held by the Health Ministry in Batam on Saturday.
The meeting was attended by heads of hospitals across the country that were recently appointed as referral hospitals for the virus.
Head of the Riau Islands Health Agency Munzir Purba disclosed the officers had to work from morning until 8 p.m., checking about 20,000 visitors entering the country from Singapore and Malaysia in five seaports and an airport in Batam, as well as a seaport in Karimun and two seaports on Bintan Island.
"The officers are very tired of checking the temperature of the visitors. We think that the action is no longer effective," Munzir said.
He said checking the temperature e of the visitors at the arrival gates was no longer effective because the H1N1 virus had spread across the country.
Responding to the problem, director general of the Health Ministry's Medical Services, Farid Husein, said the checking must continue.
"But the officers could do it in shifts, to avoid fatigue," Farid.
He said the World Health Organization had not set a standard for the number of patients needed for a country to be categorized as affected by the H1N1 pandemic.
So far, there have been about 400 H1N1 cases recorded in Indonesia, including three that were fatal.
Meanwhile, Widjajanti Utojo, head of the Dr. Slamet General Hospital in Garut, West Java, said many patients possibly infected with H1N1 could not be bothered to wait for the results of their tests.
"Many patients escape from the hospital while waiting for the results," Widjajanti said. She said her hospital had treated 60 people suspected of carrying the virus, but said only six were declared positive.
Similarly, head of medical services at Bali's Sanghlah Hospital, I Gusti Lanang Suartana, said many foreign patients became angry when they were forced to stay for six days in the in the hospital's isolation room. "Many foreign patients get angry because of that, but it will continue as there is no solution from the ministry," Suartana said.
Director of medical services at the Health Ministry, Marwan Nusri, said the laboratory testing should be conducted centrally, in Jakarta.
"It's not about the lack of equipment. But we have to do the test carefully," Marwan said.
He disclosed each test costs the central government Rp 4 million (US$400).
From Jakarta Post
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
MUI requests total closure for Ramadan
The Riau Islands chapter of the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI) has asked regencies and municipalities in the province to totally close entertainment centers, such as pubs, discotheques and massage parlours, for the duration of the upcoming Ramadan Muslim fasting month.
MUI Riau Islands chapter chairman Azhari Abbas told The Jakarta Post on Thursday the council urged the administrations of Batam, Tanjung Pinang, Karimun, Bintan, Lingga, Natuna and Anambas to close entertainment centers, starting on Aug. 21, the first eve of Ramadan.
"We have sent a circulating letter to the regency and municipality administrations. The administrations could use the letter as a basis on the closure of the entertainment centers during Ramadan."
He claimed the Tanjung Pinang muncipality administration had agreed to the MUI's request and promised to implement the total closure of the entertainment centers in the city during Ramadan.
According Azahari, the council was still approaching Batam administration and urged the municipality to close entertainment centers in the city along the fasting month.
However, Batam has its own regulation that manages the closure of entertainment centers and will close them for just four days during Ramadan, ignoring the Islamic preachers' call for total closure.
The regulation states that the closure is only the first day of Ramadan, the Koran Revelation Day on the 17th day of Ramadan and two days of Idul Fitri celebrations.
"Batam is the only city in the province that does not involve ulema in the closure of entertainment centers during Ramadan. We are very disappointed," he said.
He argued the closure of the entertainment centers along the fasting month was important to prevent immoral activities that could disturb the serenity of worship during Ramadan.
During Ramadan last year, the Batam administration also closed the entertainment for four days. The closure of entertainment along the month was feared to decrease income of workers in tourism sector.
Batam municipality spokesperson Yusfa Hendri said the closure of entertainment centers during Ramadan would be regulated through a muncipal regulation, confirming that last year the centers had been closed only for four days.
"We have to consider workers who depend their incomes on the entertainment centers. It's impossible to close the entertainment centers throughout the month."
However, he said the municipality would involve the ulema council in the planned closure of the entertainment centers during Ramadan.
"We would involve ulema in the closing and opening policies of the entertainment centers," he added, responding to the council's call.
From Jakarta Post
MUI Riau Islands chapter chairman Azhari Abbas told The Jakarta Post on Thursday the council urged the administrations of Batam, Tanjung Pinang, Karimun, Bintan, Lingga, Natuna and Anambas to close entertainment centers, starting on Aug. 21, the first eve of Ramadan.
"We have sent a circulating letter to the regency and municipality administrations. The administrations could use the letter as a basis on the closure of the entertainment centers during Ramadan."
He claimed the Tanjung Pinang muncipality administration had agreed to the MUI's request and promised to implement the total closure of the entertainment centers in the city during Ramadan.
According Azahari, the council was still approaching Batam administration and urged the municipality to close entertainment centers in the city along the fasting month.
However, Batam has its own regulation that manages the closure of entertainment centers and will close them for just four days during Ramadan, ignoring the Islamic preachers' call for total closure.
The regulation states that the closure is only the first day of Ramadan, the Koran Revelation Day on the 17th day of Ramadan and two days of Idul Fitri celebrations.
"Batam is the only city in the province that does not involve ulema in the closure of entertainment centers during Ramadan. We are very disappointed," he said.
He argued the closure of the entertainment centers along the fasting month was important to prevent immoral activities that could disturb the serenity of worship during Ramadan.
During Ramadan last year, the Batam administration also closed the entertainment for four days. The closure of entertainment along the month was feared to decrease income of workers in tourism sector.
Batam municipality spokesperson Yusfa Hendri said the closure of entertainment centers during Ramadan would be regulated through a muncipal regulation, confirming that last year the centers had been closed only for four days.
"We have to consider workers who depend their incomes on the entertainment centers. It's impossible to close the entertainment centers throughout the month."
However, he said the municipality would involve the ulema council in the planned closure of the entertainment centers during Ramadan.
"We would involve ulema in the closing and opening policies of the entertainment centers," he added, responding to the council's call.
From Jakarta Post
Riau Governor's plane lost in space
A plane carrying Riau Islands Governor Ismeth Abdullah and 13 key officials was recently forced to hover above Sumatra for two hours due to the failure of a Global Positioning System (GPS), an official said Tuesday.
Hang Nadim Airport’s aviation safety unit head, Elfi Amirm, told The Jakarta Post the governor’s chartered flight was bound for Sei Bati Airport on Karimun Island from Tanjung Pinang on Sunday when the aircraft encountered the technical problem.
Elfi said the Sei Bati Airport noticed something was going wrong with the Cassa 212 plane operated by Sabang Merauke Air Charter, as it did not land an hour after takeoff at 8:10 a.m. It normally takes less than 15 minutes to reach Karimun from Tanjung Pinang by flight.
“I reported the problem to the Singapore aviation authorities to direct the plane,” Elfi said.
The governor finally touched down safely at Sei Bati Airport, thanks to the Singapore Air Traffic Control. There is no report about how the governor and the officials on board reacted to the aviation problem.
The absence of a radar in all airports across the province has forced the province to rely on the Singapore-controlled Flight Information Region (FIR) for decades, Elfi said.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires the nearest member country that possesses a more sophisticated navigation system to help another member country in need.
From Jakarta Post
Hang Nadim Airport’s aviation safety unit head, Elfi Amirm, told The Jakarta Post the governor’s chartered flight was bound for Sei Bati Airport on Karimun Island from Tanjung Pinang on Sunday when the aircraft encountered the technical problem.
Elfi said the Sei Bati Airport noticed something was going wrong with the Cassa 212 plane operated by Sabang Merauke Air Charter, as it did not land an hour after takeoff at 8:10 a.m. It normally takes less than 15 minutes to reach Karimun from Tanjung Pinang by flight.
“I reported the problem to the Singapore aviation authorities to direct the plane,” Elfi said.
The governor finally touched down safely at Sei Bati Airport, thanks to the Singapore Air Traffic Control. There is no report about how the governor and the officials on board reacted to the aviation problem.
The absence of a radar in all airports across the province has forced the province to rely on the Singapore-controlled Flight Information Region (FIR) for decades, Elfi said.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires the nearest member country that possesses a more sophisticated navigation system to help another member country in need.
From Jakarta Post
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