Anopheles mosquito – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Five indigenous Papuans from Bime sub-district, Pengunungan Bintang Regency, have died of malaria, a local health official said.
The Head of Pegunungan Bintang Health Office Jeremias Tapior said earlier the residents had said they died of dysentery, but a local medical team found that they had malaria.
“I just received report from the team from Health Office. There is no dysentery outbreak in Bime Sub-district. They have clarified the information on dysentery outbreak was incorrect, the fact is they died because of malaria,” Jeremias Tapior said on Tuesday (15/3/2016) by phone.
According to him, his team on location also reported the absence of local medical staffs to cause the dead of five residents due to lack of medical treatment. “It is true there are five residents died but not because of dysentery. They died because of malaria and not promptly treated. It’s not categorized as special occurrence,” Tapior said.
Currently the Health Office has deployed the medical team to treat two malaria patients in Bime Sub-district. “The team also informed about the shortage of medicines in Bime,” he said.
“I and doctor Aaron Rumainum from Papua Health Office have acted. We came to the pharmacy warehouse asking them to send medicines to Bime,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Head of Preventive Health Problems Department of Papua Provincial Health Office, dr. Aaron Rumainum said five residents were died due to late assistance from the medical staffs. “Frankly it was occurred because no medical staffs there,” said dr. Rumainum. (Abeth You/rom)
