RI TIGHTENING CONTROL OVER SWINE FLU

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 30 (ANTARA) - While the global number of swine flu cases has reached 70,893 and the death toll 311, Indonesian authorities are tightening controls at international gates following the entry into the country of the disease last week.

        Since the announcement last week by Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari of two first swine flu cases in Indonesia, the number of cases in the country has now reached eight, all of which are imported ones.

        Therefore, the Indonesian government is stepping up its efforts to prevent the spread of the disease by conducting checks at airports. It will step up checks on pilots and crew arriving from abroad to anticipate the swine flu threat.

        "Tightened control will especially be done at international airports such as Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta," the administrator of the Soekarno-Hatta airport, Edward A Silooy, said.

        Edward A Silooy said checks would be done using a body scanner on pilots and cabin crew before they leave the airport. "The checks will be a must for pilots and cabin crew," he said.

        Besides that the government will also require all people arriving in Indonesia from countries affected by the H1N1 strain of virus to use face masks for at least three days as a precaution against the spread of the disease.

        "People coming from affected countries will have to wear face masks for three days as the incubation period of the disease is at least three days," Minister Supari said after attending a coordination ministerial meeting on the prevention of the swine flu on Monday.

        The government would soon allocate funds for the disposable masks to be made available at international airports and seaports. "The funds are being collected, not only for the mask supply. Parts of the funds are from the budgets for the health ministry and the Bird Flu National Commission," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said.

        The same precautionary efforts will also be made at the venues of international events. The government will apply certain fixed procedures to prevent the spread of swine flu during international events to take place in Indonesia this year.

        "In the coming few months, there will be two international events involving many foreign participants, namely 'Sail Bunaken' in Manado, and an AIDS Conference in Bali. Special measures will be applied to the events to prevent the spread of this disease (swine flu)," Aburizal Bakrie said.

        All visitors from countries affected by swine flu will be required to pass thermal scanners installed in international airports, fill in health alert cards, and use face masks for at least three days since their arrivals, he said.

        According to Silooy, pilots and air crew were vulnerable to spread of a swine flu virus particularly those serving overseas routes. "The move is taken to anticipate spread of the virus through pilots and air crew. They are vulnerable to swine flu infection. The tightening of health checks will be done continuously to prevent spread of the virus," he said.

        The government has also made the necessary efforts to handle if a patient is found to have contracted the swine flu virus.

        "If there is a visitor suspected of being infected (with swine flu), he/she will be immediately taken to a reference hospital. Some reference hospitals are ready, and the number will be increased," Minister Bakrie said.

        Minister Bakrie said the government also set up a coordination post on the prevention of the disease. The coordination post is based at the coordinating minister for people's welfare office. "This is to monitor and report every step on Influenza A control, to support the existing Health Post," he said.

        The same efforts have also been made by the health ministry. Minister Supari said that the government has intensified surveillance in all health facilities such as hospitals, health posts, and laboratories.

        The government has also prepared logistics, anti-virus medicines and human resources. "We have adequate Tamiflu, but I cannot give you the detail," the minister said.

        So far, Indonesia has detected eight cases of swine flu. Of the eight swine flu patients, four are foreigners and another four are Indonesians coming from swine flu-affected nations. Seven of them are currently being hospitalized and one has recovered.

        "Of the eight cases, six are new ones where three cases involved Australians and other three are Indonesians. But all of the cases are imported ones," Minister Supari said.

        The Australians infected with the virus are now in Bali, namely GC (12), MT (14) and JA (10) while the Indonesian victims are identified as AG (18) and her brother TP (19) and a woman AM (22).

        "AG and TP have just returned from Singapore and AM from Australia. The three Indonesians are being treated at the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Hospital in Jakarta.

        Two patients were previously declared positively carriers of H1N1 virus namely Bobie Masoner (22) and an Indonesian pilot identified as WA (37). Masoner was treated in Bali while WA in Jakarta.***3*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/S012) 20:45/...... )

        (T.A014/A/A014/A/S012) 30-06-2009 21:02:42