President Yudhoyono presents community empowerment funds to WPapua

Investment on the way: President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono, accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and West Papua Governor Abraham O. Atururi, greets well-wishers on Mansinam island in West Papua on Thursday. (JP)

Manokwari (ANTARA News) - During his first-ever working visit in West Papua, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is to present Rp154.72 billion in financial aid under the National Self-reliant Community Empowerment Program (PNPM) to the province on Thursday. 

The assistance was to be handed to West Papua Governor Abraham Artururi when the president visits Mansinam island in Manokwari district. 

The president was expected to arrive at Manokwari`s Rendani airport from Sorong at 9:30 am local time and inspect a command post of the Earthquake Disaster Management Coordination Unit (Satkorlak) at the Manokwari district head`s office. 

From the Manokwari distirct head`s office, the president would be driven to Manokwari`s seaport to board a naval vessel that would take him and his entourage to Mansinam island where he would hand over the PNPM financial aid intended for nine districts and municipalities in West Papua. On the occasion, the president would also present aid in kind (basic necessary packages) to the local people of the island. 

In addition, the president would also witness the handing of People`s Business Credit (KUR) from three state banks to small enterprises in the district. 

On the occasion Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) would hand credits totaling Rp16.59 billion to 1,516 debtors, Bank Mandiri Rp11.22 billion, and Bank BNI Rp8.42 billion to 44 debtors. 

In Mansinam island, President Yudhoyono would also sign a plaque to mark the dedication of ten infrastructure projects in West Papua, among others the construction of Warmare-Prafi road, six bridges, and a road betweb Fak Fak and Kokas. 

Fifth Microbiology Symposium in Jakarta

Wednesday, 21 January, 2009 | 16:35 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The association of Indonesian microbiologists, together with several medical experts, will hold the fifth Indonesian Antimicrobials Resistance Watch Symposium on January 24-25 at the Novotel Hotel, Mangga Dua, Jakarta. 

This will discuss problems related to infection, its prevention and management, at both community and hospital levels. 

“The mortality rate due to infection has been continuously increasing in Indonesia,” said a microbiologist from the University of Indonesia, Professor Usman Chatib Warsa, during a press conference at the university's Microbiology Department, last Wednesday. 

The symposium will be opened by Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari, who will also be a keynote speaker. 

HERU TRIYONO

Cooking Oil for the Poor

Wednesday, 21 January, 2009 | 14:10 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The government will collaborate with cooking oil producers to sell 1.000 tons of oil next month. According to trade minister Mari Elka Pangestu the collaboration is an effort to stabilize the price of this basic need. The target group for the Rp6.000-per liter oil will be the poor people. The price is cheaper than the market price which is Rp7.000 per liter. 

The sale is scheduled to be implemented in 14 provinces. “We have seven cooking oil producers who are willing to collaborate,” Mari said, adding that for the last two weeks, the government and the cooking oil producers have distributed 50.000 liters of their products through direct sales. 

BUNGA MANGGIASIH

Keeping healthy with organic foods

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 01/21/2009 1:48 PM  

If the old saying that “prevention is the best medicine” is true then organic life style is just what the doctor ordered.

“The benefits of consuming organic food can only be felt after someone consumes it regularly for a long period,” Dr. Angela, a general medical practitioner, said.

She said that the primary benefit of regularly consuming organic foods was a body safe from toxins, adding that the effects were not noticeable right away.

“As our body grows old, the metabolic process becomes slower and interrupts the natural detoxification of our body, this can be offset by consuming organic instead of conventional vegetables,” she said.

“Conventional vegetables may contain pesticides, which can cause intense pressure on our bodies to eliminate them, causing toxic overload and problems in the digestive process, especially in the liver,” she said. Toxic overload can cause  fatigue and dizziness, she added.

Angela suggested that people who cannot consume organic foods regularly, can still counter the chemicals in the body by diversifying their diet. 

“In a period of three months, one can diversify the diet by having organic spices this month, organic vegetables next month and organic meat for the third month, then organic fruits,” she said.

Despite the importance of consuming organic foods, most people in the city still find it hard to consume it regularly due to its high price and limited availability.

“My family is aware of the benefits [of organic food] but it is hard to consume it regularly because of the high price,” Riska, a consumer of organic products, said.

She added that her family grows organic vegetables in a garden at home.

“It’s one way to have organics, but most of the time, when I’m away from home, I eat nonorganic foods,” she said.

Dean Affandi, a consumer of organic foods, who lives in Fatmawati, South Jakarta, said he provided organics mostly for his daughter, Kisha.

“We try to give what’s best for Kisha by giving her organic vegetables and fruits, but for other products such as milk and cereals, we’re still rely on conventional products because organic ones are still hard to find and are expensive,” he said.

Lathifa, a consumer of organics who lives in Bogor, said she wanted to consume organic foods regularly but finds it hard to do so because of the price.

“It all depends on my budget; when I have extra money I buy organics,” she said.

Stevan Lie, operational manager of Healthy Choice, which specializes in organic produce and has a restaurant, store and bakery, said providing organic products was harder than supplying their industrial counterparts, but he was positive about the future.

“When we started the business in 2004, organics were still not popular among the city’s residents due to their high cost, but the awareness of healthy and green living has increased,”

He said that demand for organic products has increased by 15 to 20 percent each year since late 2005.

Stevan said that three main groups of people buy his products: Those who want to keep their body healthy, those who have extra money and young, well educated couples who want what is best for their children.

“The latter type of consumer appears to be getting more and more prominent nowadays,” he added.

Given the growing trend towards organic food, Stevan said that organic products can be found at almost every modern supermarket, but supplies are not yet abundant. Only a few local farmers have taken up growing organic crops, he said.

“Actually, organic production output could compete with conventional products, but most farmers still think organics is a very risky investment because they still think that organics would not sell in the market,” he said.

He acknowledged that organics need extra care, cost more to produce and are generally harder work for farmers, as organic farms are not allowed to use any chemicals.

“To deal with this problem, the Ministry of Agriculture should promote organic farming and should help farmers with marketing and distribution,” he said.

“It seems to me that the ministry has overlooked organics as a potential future, but they have said that they will go organic in 2010. We’ll just have to wait and see about that,” he added.

Police find new lead on murder of woman

Desy Nurhayati , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 01/21/2009 1:48 PM

The Jakarta police continued their investigation of the murder of a woman found inside a suitcase on Sunday.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Zulkarnain said on Tuesday, Cut Deby, 25, was last seen leaving her house in Tebet, South Jakarta, at 10 a.m on Saturday before her dead body was thrown on the Wiyoto Wiyono toll road in North Jakarta on Sunday morning.

“According to her house mate Ida, Deby has never been back since,” he said.

The police have not yet announced any suspects or the motive of the murder, he said.

“We are still investigating the victim’s call records, as well as the people she was with in her last days. We also checked the footage at the Park Lane Hotel in Casablanca where the victim went on Friday at around 10 p.m.”

The police also questioned Robi, a taxi driver who took Deby from Park Lane Hotel to Grand Menteng Hotel that night.

“Robi said Deby was complaining to him about her Rp 5 million (US$445) debt and about not getting a customer all week.”

Deby was seen without a companion when she came to the two hotels.

During the last two days, there were at least four homicide cases reported to the city police.

On Monday evening, an 18-year-old man was found dead in a house in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, with cables twisted around his neck.

In Depok, a man identified as SR was arrested Monday for allegedly killing Yada, 51, who was found dead with his fingers missing.

On late Sunday, a transvestite was found dead in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. The dead body of Bella, 35, had stab wounds in the neck, shoulders and waist.

Also on Sunday, police officers patrolling near the waste processing agency Pal Jaya in Bekasi found a male corpse floating in the water. There were no signs of abuse on the victim’s body.

Murder cases in Greater Jakarta rose from 67 cases in 2007 to 78 cases last year, according to a year-end report by the city police.

Zulkarnain said most of the homicides were caused by economic burden while others were due to revenge.

He added that the perpetrators and the victims often had close relationships, citing the recent murder of Amah, whose body was mutilated by her boyfriend Sutrisno, who refused to be responsible for the victim’s unborn baby.

Zulkarnain said that while the police continued to investigate all the homicides, he called on people to be cautious, especially at night.

“Make sure that your family or your close friends know where you are,” he said.

Criminologists have said the rising murder rate, including victims being mutilated, was likely due to an inability to deal with stress.

Health Ministry: 2 Indonesians died of bird flu

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Jakarta | Wed, 01/21/2009 5:29 PM  

Two Indonesians have died of bird flu, apparently after contact with sick chickens, raising the country's death toll to 115, the Health Ministry said Wednesday. 

A ministry statement said a 6-year-old girl in Bekasi, West Java, died on Jan. 2. She got sick after buying a chicken with her parents at a market and was hospitalized for a week. 

A 29-year-old woman died on Dec. 16 in Tangerang just outside the capital, Jakarta. She developed flu-like symptoms after visiting a market and died in a hospital five days later. 

Double laboratory testing confirmed they had the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, the statement said. 

Indonesia has regularly recorded human deaths from bird flu since the virus began ravaging poultry stocks across Asia in 2003. It first reported deaths from the disease in 2005. 

The World Health Organization - which bases its tally on national figures - put the country's dead toll at 113 out of 249 recorded fatalities worldwide, including three Chinese victims this year. 

Bird flu remains hard for people to catch, but health experts worry it could mutate into a form that passes easily between humans, possibly triggering a pandemic that could kill millions worldwide. 

Indonesia is considered a potential hotspot for such a mutation, but the country's health minister has refused to share virus samples with the WHO for more than two years. 

She argues that pharmaceutical companies will use the samples to make vaccines that are ultimately unaffordable to her own people. Critics say Indonesia's policy is making it harder to see if the virus is morphing into a more dangerous form.

Sanglah hospital opens hotline, counseling for domestic abuse

Luh De Suryani, THE JAKARTA POST, DENPASAR | Sat, 01/17/2009 5:24 PM  

Amidst rising public awareness of domestic abuse in Bali, Sanglah General Hospital, the island's largest medical facility, has opened a counseling center and a hotline for victims of such crimes. 

Sanglah hospital officials said that the counseling center and hotline would help victims cope with their trauma and assist police in solving domestic abuse cases. 

"We can't stand by as providers of forensic evidence, victims need to provide psychological evidence *to prosecute*, and thus, they need psychological treatment," I Gusti Rai Tirta, head of the Denpasar chapter of the Indonesian Psychiatric Association (PDSKJ), said at the opening of the counseling center on Friday. 

"It's also important for the police to have an analysis of the victim's psyche and their medical psychology history." 

According to the latest survey on mental health in Bali, conducted in 2005, about 4 percent of the population, or 120,000 Balinese, have a mental disorder. Depression, suicidal tendencies, phobia and pathologic gambling are among the problems. 

About 7,000 people surveyed were described as clinically insane. 

"Recent observations suggested that this number has increased and problems have worsened as more psychological cases have turned into suicide cases," Rai Tirta said. 

He said that, bases on the cases the hospital handles, perpetrators of domestic abuse tend to have mental disorders. 

Last year, the hospital received 48 requests from domestic abuse victims for forensic evidence, representing a growth in the number of victims who wish to prosecute. Out of those requests, two victims were being treated for psychological trauma. 

Lely Setyawati, a psychiatrist from the Medical Faculty of the Udayana University, stressed the importance of victims' report in domestic abuse cases, adding that she was impressed with the number of victims who reported cases last year. 

"Before, domestic abuse victims would have never said they were victims when they asked to be examined," Lely said. 

"They would say their injuries were caused by accidents. 

"Especially women, who tend to cover up domestic violence," she said. 

She supported the opening of the hotline, saying that women would now be able to consult experts without having to first to discuss with their families. 

"Indonesian amilies tend to see domestic violence as a natural thing and not a pathological thing," she said. 

People seeking counseling or who want to report domestic abuse can refer to the Sanglah psychiatric medical facility, call 0361-228824 between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. or email: psychiatry_denpasar@yahoo.com.

Government to Control Medicine Market

The Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita, January 17, 2009

Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari on Friday announced that the government would impose strict terms on pharmaceutical companies that wanted to do business with the government to make generic medicines more accessible to the public.

Siti Fadillah said pharmaceutical companies, state owned or private, would be allowed to buy raw materials for the production of generic medicines at government-subsidized prices, but would be required to abide by a series of regulations.

Companies that wanted to buy their raw materials elsewhere could do so, but would not be allowed to sell their products in government health facilities or under state health programs, the minister said.

“If they want to buy their materials elsewhere, it is up to them, but they will have to find their own market,” she said.

The supply of raw materials for generic medicines has so far been provided by private distributors.

Siti Fadillah said that losing the government market, estimated to be worth about Rp 4 trillion ($360 million) annually, would present a huge loss for pharmaceutical companies as the government covered all state-run hospitals, regional hospitals, state-run drug stores and community-based insurance programs.

Earlier this week, Siti Fadillah announced that the ministry had earmarked Rp 280 billion in 2009 to subsidize the purchase of raw materials for generic medicine to stabilize prices amid the global financial crisis. Pharmaceutical companies would only be allowed to buy the subsidized raw materials if they have received approval from the ministry and if they sold their products at government-set prices.

The approval would be based on recommendations by the National Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency, or BPOM, after it observed the variances between the amount of raw material purchased and the amount of medicine produced.

The subsidized raw materials could only be used to produce subsidized generic drugs, or OGS, and subsidized brand-named drugs, or OGSM, Siti Fadillah said, adding that OGSM should not be sold at more than three times the price of its OGS version.

The drugs produced should be “fast-moving” medicines, such as antibiotics and pain relievers, as well as life-saving drugs like heart and cancer medications.

She also said that institutions using funds from the state budget or local budgets must only purchase drugs manufactured with the subsidized raw materials, which would consequently make medicine procurement by tender at a regional level unnecessary.

Siti Fadillah said that such tenders often prompted local administrations to choose more expensive drugs as the practice allowed them to obtain commissions from sellers.

She said the ministry was considering establishing a quota wherein 60 percent of each pharmaceutical companies’ production and sales was devoted to OGS, and the rest to OGSM.

“We have to set the quota and the ratio, otherwise every company will only focus on selling OGSM because it’s more expensive,” Siti Fadillah said.

Battered Women Too ‘Dependent and Weak’ to Leave Husbands, Say Police

The Jakarta Globe, Anita Rachman, January 16, 2009

Almost 25 percent of domestic violence complaints made to police in 18 provinces in Indonesia in 2008 were withdrawn due to financial or social reasons, National Police said on Thursday. 

“Our women are dependent and weak,” said Sundari, an investigator from the directorate of security and transnational affairs at the National Police. 

She was commenting on figures compiled by the National Police that show that as many as 152 out of 682 complaints made in 18 provinces were withdrawn by the complainants because of their dependency on their husbands and commitment to their families. 

The figures are the tip of the iceberg, with the vast majority of domestic violence incidents in Indonesia going unreported. 

“Many of them are afraid of getting divorced or being left by their husbands,” Sundari said during a discussion forum on violence against women, in Jakarta on Thursday. “Women are worried about their financial situation; most of them rely on their husbands financially.” 

Women also withdrew their complaints because of social pressure. In other cases, women were forced by their children to retract their complaints. 

“The children do not want to see their fathers being detained,” Sundari said. 

Sundari said that a weak bargaining position and poor understanding of domestic violence made it difficult for investigators wrap up a case swiftly. She said that once a woman reported a case of abuse, she must work as part of a team with the investigators. 

“What happens most of the time is that victims are often in two minds about giving evidence,” she said. 

There were many cases where the lack of supporting evidence meant the case could not proceed to trial, Sundari said. 

She said that many women failed to r e port domestic abuse promptly, which could also hamper investigations. 

“If a wife reports the abuse several days after the attack, the police will have difficulties establishing a case because the bruises would have faded,” Sundari said. 

Police would only allow mild cases of abuse to be dropped, including slapping, kicking, punching, psychological abuse and husbands who were having extramarital affairs.Cases that could not be withdrawn included stabbings, serious assault, rape or other forms of sexual abuse. 

Some of the provinces with the highest rate of domestic violence are Gorontalo, with 39 of 56 reported cases dropped, South Sulawesi with 35 from 47, South Sumatra with 20 of 27 and Bali with 30 of 112.

3 doctors missing after ferry capsizesd in Arafura waters

Markus Markur, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 01/15/2009 11:51 AM  

An official search and rescue team is on the lookout for three doctors who were not among the rescued after their ferry bound for Asmat, Papua, capsized Wednesday evening. 

According to Asmat Police chief, Korwa, the three doctors -- Wendi Sitompul, Boyke Mowoka and Hendi Prakoso -- were on board the ferry Risma Jaya, when it capsized in Arafura waters due to heavy weather and high waves. 

The search and rescue crew is a joint effort of military personnel and police officers from the area. 

The ferry was carrying 27 passengers in all of whom 19 were medical practitioners; all have been rescued except the three physicians.

The medical team was on temporary assignment to Asmat regency, a remote region in Papua province. (amr) 

First Lady sad over fast growing of AIDS in Indonesia

Jakarta  (ANTARA News) - First Lady Mrs Ani Yudhoyono expressed sadness over the spread of AIDS in Indonesia which is said to be the fastest in Asia. 

The First Lady expressed her sadness when she addressed a students` pledge ceremony on `How To Say No To Drugs and Free Sex` at Halim Perdanakusuma`s Puri Ardhya Garini Hall, here on Thursday. 

She said that misuse of narcotics and free sex were not part of Indonesia`s culture and were against the religions professed by the nation. 

The First Lady said that according to reports provinces undergoing fastest growing of AIDS were Jakarta, Papua, West Java, East Java, Bali, Central Java, Riau Islands and South Sulawesi. 

The Ministry of Health records showed that until September 2007, the number of AIDS/HIV carriers in Indonesia was 16,282, of whom 10,384 were suffering from AIDS and 5,904 others were HIV carriers. 

It was reported that the fast spreading of AIDS/HIV infections in Indonesia are due to sharing of contaminated needles (49 percent) and unsafe sex contacts (42 percent). 

Mrs Ani Yudhoyono, who was appointed ambassador for HIV/AIDS handling by the National AIDS Council in 2006, said she was sad to see the fast growing of AIDS/HIV cases in Indonesia.

RI, Netherlands discuss prisoner exchange agreement

Irawaty Wardani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 01/14/2009 8:23 PM  

Indonesia and Netherlands are making initial talks for a prisoner exchange agreement between the two countries, Justice and Human Rights Andi Mattalatta said Wednesday. 

Earlier in the day, Andi met with Netherlands' Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen in an initial meeting prior to the Netherlands' Judicial Minister Ernest Hirsch's visit to Indonesia in February. 

Andi said the judicial minister would sign legal MOU including extradition, mutual legal assistance and transfer of sentenced prisoners. 

"They need to make the agreement since there are around 10 Dutch citizen who are detained and facing legal process here; most of them are involved in drug cases," he said. He added that eight of them had been sentenced to prison and the other two were still in a trial process. 

The minister also said that the two countries were working a cooperation in immigration matters, which includes giving visa free policy for Dutch people who are working in Indonesia and those that hold diplomatic passport," he said. (dre)

21 Generic Medicine Prices to Go Down 19%

Dessy Sagita, The Jakarta Globe, January 13, 2009

The central government would slash the price of at least 21 generic drugs by an average of 19 percent and release a multimillion dollar state subsidy to keep drug and medicine prices stable this year despite global economic conditions, Heath Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said on Monday. 

The minister did not name the generic drugs that would have their prices cut, but said the move was to ensure that more people could afford them. 

“Poor people also have the right to decent health service,” she told a press conference. 

The Ministry of Health has also earmarked Rp 280 billion ($25.5 million) from the state budget for the Subsidized Generic Medicine program, under which drugstores across the country would sell “fast-moving” drugs and medicines such as antibiotics, cold medicines and pain relievers at prices set by the government. 

Life-saving drugs such as medications for heart and cancer patients would also be sold at cheaper, fixed prices, she said. 

Siti Fadillah said provincial and district governments would only be able obtain subsidized drug supplies from the Ministry of Health, rather than directly from private distributors. 

“I know there are many local officials who prefer to buy the most expensive kinds of medicines because they earn a commission from the seller, but there will no longer be such things,” she said. 

Siti Fadillah said the subsidy aimed to stabilize prices irrespective of any fluctuations in the rupiah, which fell as much as 30 percent against the dollar last year. The government bought raw materials for drug production when the rupiah was at 9,400, so any decline this year should not affect prices, she said. 

“The upcoming year will be unpredictable, but because we bought our raw materials all at once, hopefully the price will remain stable and there will be no supply interruption,” Siti Fadillah said. 

She said the subsidy program also covered name-brand medicines as long as state-run and private pharmaceutical companies sold them no higher than three times the price of generic brands. 

“There are so many companies selling name-brand medicines that are 10 times more expensive than the generic ones. Under the subsidy regulation, that will not happen,” she said. “They are allowed to buy our subsidized raw materials, but only if they promise to sell it according to our terms.”

Breakthrough surgery in Bali

Andra Wisnu, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Fri, 01/09/2009 10:56 AM  

A 64-year-old patient remained fully awake during a successful surgical procedure to remove a malignant brain tumor, taking a phone call and all but reading the paper at Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar on Thursday. 

The man, Ketut Rimbang, became the first person in Bali to undergo an awake craniotomy, a procedure in which the patient remains fully conscious during the operation. 

As the one-hour surgery progressed, Rimbang waved greetings to doctors, tried to read the paper (though he had forgotten his glasses) and took a telephone call from a relative. 

"Hey, how are you? I'm in surgery right now so I'll talk to you later," he said smiling. 

About a week ago, Rimbang suffered from sudden paralysis. Family members thought he had had a stroke and took him to Sanglah Hospital where he was diagnosed with a tumor that was blocking the neuropathways of the brain that govern movement. 

Doctors are still waiting for lab results on the type of tumor, but they suspect it was malignant low-grade astrocytoma, a brain tumor that usually occurs in people between the ages of 40 and 60. 

Rimbang was too sedated to talk much during the surgery, though he said he felt no pain but was a little scared. 

The prospects of having his head opened and prodded by doctors sounded other-worldly, but an awake craniotomy is becoming an increasingly common procedure with important benefits. 

Neurosurgeons need their patients awake during for at least part of the surgery to monitor their brain function and use patient response as an assessment tool as they proceed. 

"This way doctors have the benefit of testing his critical motor skills such as moving and breathing," said Ketut Sinarja, the attending anesthesiologist. 

"It was quite a challenge because I had to make sure the anesthesia was enough to keep the procedure painless but at the same time keep him awake." 

Prominent people who have undergone awake craniotomies include US Senator Ted Kennedy and Indonesian celebrity Gugun Gondrong. 

It is not the first awake craniotomy in Indonesia, as similar procedures had been carried out in hospitals in Bandung, West Java, and in Semarang, Central Java, but doctors were happy that the procedure went well considering it was the first instance in Bali. 

As for Rimbang, he seemed calm after it was all over, smiling and raising his hand to give the V-for-victory sign.

Bali Provides Free Health Services

TEMPO Interactive, Denpasar, Wednesday, 07 January, 2009 | 12:31 WIB 

The Bali Provincial Government yesterday (6/1) started to provide free health services. 

It is targeted that these will be provided 6,000 times free of charge in 500 villages during 2009. 

“We are prioritizing villages with health problem,” said Bali Governor, Made Mangku Pastika. 

On the first day, free services were provided at Pegayaman Village in Buleleng regency; Pemecutan Village in Denpasar City; Bona Village in Gianyar Regency; Pecatu Village in Badung Regency; Nongan Village in Karangasem Regency; Taman Bali Village in Bangli Regency; Sudimara Village in Tabanan Regency; and Gelgel Village in Klungkung Regency. 

The services are provided everyday and involve GPs, dentists and some specialists. 

Pastika said that this program was not included within the system so some officials at the Health Department had complained. 

“But I will continue the program because people need this service,” he said. 

Pastika explained that the free services will be evaluated and will be stopped when people's health in each regency has improved. 

Increasing access to health and educational services for Balinese are a priority of Pastika's work program in 2009. 

Twenty percent of the Bali regional state budget has been allocated for the education sector. 

Pastika said he believed poverty in Bali would be reduced when people's access to health and educational services improved. 

ROFIQI HASAN

 

Earthquake survivors suffer illnesses

Nethy Dharma Somba and Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Manokwari, Jakarta | Wed, 01/07/2009 11:19 AM 

Residents of the Sidey district of the Manokwari regency, some 120 kilometers from Manokwari city, have been exposed to numerous illnesses following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake which hit on Jan 3., with five toddlers suffering from diarrhea and a number of adults contracting malaria and respiratory infections. 

"Medical attendants at the Sidey community health center have so far treated five infants with diarrhea and adults showing signs of respiratory infections," Andarias Moktis, a medical attendant at the clinic told reporters. 

A two-month old infant, Ones, who is suffering from diarrhea, slept soundly on the floor of the Sidey village hall as his mother Dina Waramuy and grandmother Welmina Krey sat nearby. 

"He has been suffering from diarrhea over the past two days, but has been treated," Dina said. 

She added that she had contracted a headache and was starting to catch a fever. "I also don't feel well," she said. 

During their stay in makeshift tents, residents have been taking water from the nearby river to drink. "There is no firewood to cook. We drink water directly from the river," said Henri, another survivor. 

As many as 45 families, or around 200 people in Sidey villages, have taken refuge from the quake. 

Those who have the means can afford to buy tarpaulins to shelter them from the elements, but those who do not are forced to stay under the trees and shrubs and sleep on dried leaves. 

"Due to such conditions, they easily fall sick, because they drink raw water and sleep without cover," local resident Andarisa Moktis said. 

"We request immediate help. Relief aid is gathering in the city, but we are not cared for because we have not received assistance as of this moment," Henri, a local teacher, said. 

Evacuees said they would return home only if the government officially stated that it was safe to do so, as they continue to feel mild tremors. 

The official death toll from the quake currently stands at five, including Antonius Mansai, 65, who died on Jan. 5 at around 5 a.m. local time during a subsequent 5.5 magnitude quake. 

"He died of shock. During the quake, he fell and died," West Papua Vice Governor Rahimin Katjong told reporters in Manokwari. 

The other victims have been identified as Yolanda Mandosi (10) and Antonius Mansai (65) from Manokwari city; Dominggus Yekwan (36), Avit Yesnat (9), and Novelina Mofu (3) from Abun district, Sorong regency. They all died after being buried by rubble. 

Meanwhile, the government claimed Tuesday that it had managed to deal with the impacts of the powerful earthquakes in Manokwari, the capital of West Papua. 

After meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to report on mitigation efforts, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said that the central and provincial administration had jointly overcome the impacts of the earthquakes that started to hit the city early Sunday morning. 

"The government was quick to respond to the earthquakes, that is why the mitigation efforts have run well and the destruction has not been really severe. The local administration also responded by immediately building makeshift shelters," Djoko told a press briefing at the presidential office. 

Following the president's instruction, Djoko and three other ministers visited the region on Monday to deliver cash aid and supplies. 

"We have disbursed Rp 2.25 billion ($US210,000) in cash along with food and medical supplies, ambulances and water purifiers," he said, adding that the government was still calculating losses. 

The minister said the government would accelerate the reconstruction of damaged buildings and infrastructure in the coastal city, which included seven bridges and two roads. 

"We have dispatched a team to monitor the damaged buildings and expect them to report the results within the next 10 days."

West Jakarta to screen water depots

The Jakarta Post, Tue, 01/06/2009 11:12 AM  

JAKARTA: The West Jakarta administration plans to screen 384 drinking water refill depots within the municipality in February to ensure the water is not polluted by E. coli bacteria, an official said Monday. 

According to the municipality's survey last year, out of the 640 depots across its eight districts, 60 percent of them, or 384, were found to refill water contaminated with the bacteria. 

"We're still discussing it. But the screening itself is already fixed. The plan is to close down those that violate the health standard," said Ida Bagus Nyoman Banjar, head of the West Jakarta Health Agency, as quoted by beritajakarta.com. 

On the other hand, those which meet the standard will be given a registration number from the agency, he added. 

Mayor Djoko Ramadhan said he was ready to issue a disposition letter for the monitoring effort. 

"But please do it accordingly so it won't be misunderstood as working in favor of a certain brand of drinking water," he said. -JP

Health Ministry sends Makassar medical team to Manokwari

Andi Hajramurni,  The Jakarta Post,  Makassar |  Mon, 01/05/2009 7:54 PM  

The Health Ministry has sent a 7-member medical team from Makassar, Sulawesi, to  Manokwari, West Papua, on Monday to help victims of Sunday's 7.3 quake. 

The team, who left early Monday, consists of five doctors -- specialists in orthopedics, surgery, anesthetics, internal injury and a general practitioner -- and two paramedics. 

The team, led by orthopedist Idrus Paturusi (who is also the rector of Makassar's Hasanuddin University), immediately joined other medical teams assisting victims of the disaster. 

The team also delivered a 10-kilogram pack of medicines, two large field tents and surgical supplies and instruments, supplies for a mobile field hospital. 

Idrus said, "We prepared a 10-man team to be sent, but it turns out we only had seven seats in the plane, so the other three was forced to be left behind." 

The logistical scrambling was due to the ministry's sudden order to deploy to Manokwari. (emh)

Related Article:

Earthquakes lay waste to Manokwari, kill four

'Kafe' are HIV hotspots: Official

Anton Muhajir, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Sat, 01/03/2009 10:33 AM  

The growing popularity of kafe (local bars) across Bali has made the island more vulnerable to the spread of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), as the outlets also serve as a front for prostitution, a senior health official warns. 

"The kafe have became not only places to relax but also places to solicit sexual transactions," Bali AIDS Commission (KPS) spokesperson Mangku Karmaya said at a year-end press briefing earlier this week. 

Over the past ten years, the kafe has grown to become a local phenomenon. Unlike the more prestigious cafes (selling tea, coffee, refreshments etc), bars and nightclubs in the island's prime tourism areas, kafe are mainly located in suburban and rural areas. 

The IB Mantra highway which runs along the southern edge of the island hosts a large number of kafe. 

Generally a kafe is a spacious walled hall equipped with bamboo tables, plastic chairs and a loud sound system playing the latest hits, electronic music or an array of spirited dangdut songs. 

These establishments sell beer, local liquor such as arak (local rice wine) and various cocktails based on arak. Kafe customers are mainly local youths, truck drivers and low-income earners. 

Most kafe employ young girls who play multiple roles, acting as waitresses, drinking companions and, often, commercial sex workers. 

"This is a form of disguised and unchecked prostitution. Needless to say, such outlets are also highly vulnerable to the spread of HIV," Karmaya said. 

Outreach workers from a local HIV/AIDS NGO had discovered an HIV positive waitress in one of the kafe, Karmaya said. The waitress admitted to having sexual intercourse with up to five men per day. None of her customers had ever used condoms during sex, she had said. 

"Imagine how many people have been infected because of this blatant ignorance," Karmaya said, urging the local administration to pay serious attention to this problem and to establish a supervisory and monitoring program targeting kafe. 

"The administration must, on a regular basis, carry out health examinations and laboratory testing of blood samples taken from all kafe workers," he said. 

Karmaya also reminded kafe owners of the possible health risks and social consequences of their outlets. 

"The owners should not only think about financial profits. They should also be aware of the adverse impacts and ways to minimize those impacts," he said. 

"For a start, owners should make condoms available at their establishments to decrease the number of HIV infections." 

A government-sanctioned supervision program would put local administrations and politicians under a lot of heat as they could be accused of condoning or legalizing prostitution by the conservative parts of society, Karmaya said.

"HIV/AIDS is everybody's problem. If we leave things as they are, the island could face an HIV/AIDS epidemic of catastrophic proportions."  

Hong Kong housewife jailed for branding Indonesian maid with iron

Hong Kong (ANTARA News) - A 32-year-old Hong Kong housewife was Friday jailed for seven months for branding the arm of her Indonesian maid with a hot iron. 

Ng Bik-man attacked her 24-year-old maid in August after accusing her of letting her eight-month-old son move too close to the iron while he was moving about in his baby walker. 

She at first threatened to burn the maid's face with the iron but then scalded her arm with it, Hong Kong's Tsuen Wan magistrates court was told. The maid was left with serious burns. 

Mother-of-two Ng, whose lawyer argued the incident happened out of concern and love for her son, was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm.  

At Friday's sentencing hearing, magistrate John Glass told Ng her crime was serious and said she had shown no remorse. She had also violated an employee's trust in her, he was quoted by DPA as saying.   

More than 200,000 women from the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand work as live-in domestic helpers for Hong Kong families, earning a government-set minimum wage of around 450 US dollars a month.

Palestine president to meet RI’s humanitarian team

The Jakarta Post, Yaman | Sat, 01/03/2009 10:29 AM  

Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas is set to meet with Indonesia’s humanitarian team on Saturday in Yaman of Jordan, top official from Health Ministry told state news wire Antara. 

Chairman of the ministry for crisis control Rustam S. Pakaya said on Saturday that the team were also scheduled to talk with Palestine’s ministers of foreign affairs and health and handed over some aids from the Indonesian government. 

“During the meeting, we will give two tons of medical aids worth US$ 585 (Rp 6.4 million) and fund of Rp 2 billion,” he said. 

After the event, he added, the team would set up a temporary health post in Rafah, nearby Gaza Strip. 

The United Nations’ special representative for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) Peter Ford said that the UNRWA team had found difficulties each time they entered the strip to hand out the aids. 

“We even lost two team members when they attempted to go into the area,” he said. 

He said that the condition has been worsening in the strip as refugees kept of flooding the camps plus poor sanitation and water supply. 

“The victims are in dire needs of money to buy foods and other goods,” he said. (ewd)

Related Article:

Teams Land In Jordan With Emergency Aid For Gaza Strip

Nusa Tenggara children facing rough times

The Jakarta Post | Fri, 01/02/2009 5:01 PM  

West Nusa Tenggara administration on Friday announced that the health and education of the region's children had been adversely affected by the increasing divorce rate there, tempointeraktif.com reports. 

According to data from the Provincial Religious Court, between January and November 2008 there was a total of 2,901 divorce cases, which is a 30 percent increase from the same period in 2007. 

The court's deputy chairman, Mustamiuddin Ibrahim, said the main reason behind the divorces was a low standard of living in the region which had prompted many men to try their luck abroad, especially to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia or Brunei Darussalam. 

"Some men have just abandoned their families. This is both because of economic hardships and morality problems," Ibrahim said while adding that an increasing divorce rate came hand in hand with economic pressures. 

The high divorce rate had severely impacted the quality of life of children in the region, since their access to healthy living and education had been hampered, he said. 

"The high divorce rate has affected the region's human development index," Ibrahim added, without giving details. (and)

'Bug' could combat dengue fever

BBC News 

Humans could be protected from dengue fever by infecting the mosquitoes carrying it with a parasite which halves their lifespan, say researchers. 

Australian scientists, writing in the journal Science, found that Wolbachia bacteria spread well through laboratory-bred mosquitoes. 

Only older mosquitoes pass on dengue - so killing them could cut disease. 

Experts said it remained to be seen how well the bacteria would spread outside the laboratory.

The virus might also adapt to survive, they added. 

Female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads dengue and yellow fever

Many thousands of cases of dengue fever occur worldwide each year, mainly in warmer tropical countries. 

The virus is passed to humans when mosquitoes carrying it feed on their blood, and while there have been efforts to eradicate them using insecticides, these have been fraught with problems, including the ability of the mosquito to become resistant to the chemicals used. 

The potential of Wolbachia as a way of controlling mosquito populations has been suggested for some time, but the latest study offers hope - albeit under laboratory conditions - that it might work. 

The researchers from the University of Queensland in Brisbane picked a strain of Wolbachia known to halve the lifespan of its host. 

The mosquito which carries the dengue virus is not naturally susceptible to the bacteria, so the researchers adapted it to create a successful infection. 

The bacteria can be passed from infected female to offspring, and even though the cost in terms of lifespan should mean that infected insects should die out, Wolbachia has another trick up its sleeve. 

It makes subtle changes to infected males which mean they can only produce offspring with infected females. 

Older danger 

As expected, the infection thrived in the laboratory population of mosquitoes, and halved their lifespan to just a few weeks. 

This is potentially significant because, after a mosquito acquires the dengue virus by biting an infected animal or human, there is a period of incubation lasting from a week to three weeks before it can pass on the infection when biting. 

This means that only mosquitoes older than this are likely to be dangerous to humans and even these are likely to die swiftly, reducing their ability to infect. 

The researchers suggested that the parasite represented a potentially inexpensive way to tackle the problem, particularly in urban areas, where other methods of control were difficult. 

Dr Andrew Read and Dr Matthew Thomas, specialists in infectious disease dynamics from the Pennsylvania State University in the US, said "substantial" reductions in disease transmission could occur, but there were still obstacles to success. 

"Determining whether it can remove enough infectious mosquitoes will be a challenge," they wrote. 

If the bacterial strain chosen was too virulent it would spread very slowly and large numbers of infected mosquitoes might need to be released, they said. 

It was also possible that dengue virus strains would adapt to require a shorter incubation period, they said.

Domestic violence on the rise in S. Sumatra

Khairul Saleh, The Jakarta Post, Palembang | Fri, 01/02/2009 10:30 AM  

Violence against women in South Sumatra rose dramatically in 2008, from 396 cases in 2007 to 568 cases, a year-end report from the Palembang chapter of the Women's Crisis Center (WCC) has revealed. 

WCC Executive Director Yeni Roslaini Izi said on Wednesday that cases of domestic violence topped the list, with 210 incidence (39 percent), compared to 201 in 2007; followed by sexual harassment with 100 cases (18 percent, up from 24 cases in 2007); child molestation with 69 cases (12 percent); rape with 61 cases (11 percent) and 47 sundry cases. 

Reports of human trafficking, however, dropped to 81 cases (14 percent) from 89 in 2007. 

Of the 210 domestic violence cases, abuse against housewives topped the list with 169 cases, followed by 20 cases involving housemaids, 14 cases involving children and seven incest cases. 

The data was derived from reports filed at the WCC as well as from references from other institutions, such as hospitals, legal aid institutes and police stations. 

However, only 60 percent of the cases were brought to justice and resolved psychologically; of these, domestic violence and trafficking cases were the least prosecuted. 

"We have received an increasing number of complaints from the public," Yeni told The Jakarta Post. 

She added that only a small number of the cases were brought to court thanks to her group's role as mediator and facilitator. Generally, victims are less eager to bring the cases to court, especially those which took place years ago. 

"They consider it taboo and shameful if the cases are brought to court because they would be exposed to the public. In trafficking cases, usually pimps and middlemen are sent for trial," she said. 

She added that the drop in human trafficking reports did not indicate that cases of trafficking had dropped but more likely that victims were reluctant to report the cases or had fallen under the radar of her organization. 

Trafficking cases in South Sumatra did not only take place transnationally but also domestically, between regencies and provinces, she said. 

Among the underlying factors are poverty and desire for consumer items among teenage girls, which makes them easy targets for pimps and middlemen. 

"Parents should not be easily lured into allowing their daughters to work in cities. They must be sure about the agency or company recruiting their daughters," she said. 

Yeni also cited lax supervision of recruitment procedures for migrant workers among relevant agencies in South Sumatra and the malfunction of state-run training centers as problems that lead to the exploitation of migrant workers. 

"The training centers tend to only carry out their obligations without ensuring quality. Many training programs do not comply with the types of work they would engage in at their countries of destination," Yeni said. 

Yeni urged the provincial administration and legislature to take strong measures and ensure the immediate passage of an ordinance on violence against women next year, so various approaches on resolving the cases could be achieved due to the allocation of funds for the purpose from the government. 

"Such matters are included in the law, but can be facilitated by the provincial administration by setting aside funds through a local ordinance," she said. 

South Sumatra legislator Fatimah Djaiz affirmed the ordinance would be approved by August 2009 at the latest. 

The legislature is currently deliberating on the draft bylaw and by involving related parties, such as non-governmental women's groups, to discuss the draft ordinance. 

"We will fully support the passage of the bylaw," said Fatimah.

Crime rate drops, but gambling, murder rise

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 12/31/2008 7:23 AM  

Crime figures in Jakarta dropped slightly this year, from 58,805 cases last year to 57,024 now, with incidents of gambling and murder on the rise, an annual police report revealed Tuesday. 

The report covered 70 types of crimes in Jakarta, Bekasi, Tangerang and Depok. 

Car theft remains top of the list, accounting for 34.7 percent of total crimes. It also topped the list last year with 33.7 percent. 

Gambling cases increased by almost 50 percent, from 685 to 1,007, and homicides by 16 percent, from 67 murders to 78. 

The three crimes that saw significant decreases were juvenile delinquency, down 33 percent from last year’s 15 cases to 10; violent robbery, down 30 percent, from 1,721 cases to 1,202; and rape, which dropped 18 percent, from 139 to 114. 

The number of crimes successfully solved this year jumped by 17.41 percent, from 25,086 cases in 2007 to 29,454 this year. However, that still left 27,570 cases unsolved. 

“One of the obstacles (we face) in solving crimes is our lack of technology. Crimes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, while our resources are still limited,” Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Wahyono said. 

The police intensified raids on gambling, prostitution and thuggery in Jakarta throughout 2008. 

This led to the closure of 773 gambling cases and 16 human trafficking and prostitution cases, and the arrests of 13,113 petty criminals. 

However, only 1,363 of them were sent to jail. The most prominent homicides in 2008 involved mutilations, with only three out of seven cases resolved. One of these was the media-hyped serial mutilation murders by Verry Idham Henyansyah, also known as Ryan. 

In 2008, the Jakarta Police recorded 5,965 traffic accidents, with 1,080 fatalities, 2,443 severe casualties and 4,029 minor casualties.