Jakarta, Oct 21 (Antara) - The haze disaster in several provinces of Sumatra and Kalimantan over the past few months has led to respiratory infections among tens of thousands of residents.
In Riau province alone, during the period between June 29 and October 20, 2015, a total of 78,879 people were recorded to have suffered from respiratory ailments and other related diseases. According to experts, such haze disaster victims should undergo a comprehensive medical checkup as they could develop cancer later on in life.
According to Wahono, the rector of the University of Pancasila, the victims of haze, arising from forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, need to undergo a health examination as they are at a risk of developing cancer in future.
"The impact of inhaling the haze is not instant, but in the long run, the ill-effects become visible after some five to 10 years. Therefore, they need to take good care of their health," Wahono said on the sidelines of a pharmacy fair at the Pharmacy Faculty of the Pacasila University in Jakarta on Sunday.
He emphasized that the haze victims therefore need to improve their nutritional intake and inculcate a healthy lifestyle to avoid developing various diseases.
"They need to consume fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals on a regular basis, so that their bodies remain fit," he remarked.
Last week, House Speaker Setya Novanto urged the government to provide free medical treatment to the haze victims in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
"The government should provide medical treatment to them. There is no other choice left now but to assist the victims," Novanto remarked on October 19.
He said the government should also take steps to anticipate an increase in the number of haze victims by distributing face masks. After all, over 78 thousand people in Riau province alone have been suffering from respiratory infections.
The Riau health service has released data on the number of victims, which has reached 78,879.
"The data was collected from community health care centers, health posts, and mobile post services, which continue to operate on a 24-hour basis," Head of Riau Province's Health Service Andra Sjafril stated in Pekanbaru, Riau Province Capital, on Wednesday (Oct. 21).
The haze victims comprised 66,234 people suffering from upper respiratory tract infections, 1,076 pneumonia, 3,073 asthma, 3,693 eye irritation, and 4,857 skin diseases.
He remarked that the haze disaster caused by forest and land fires continued to increase over the past three months. The government has provided face masks and medicines.
The Riau health official explained that the current stock of face masks is therefore adequate.
"The stock of medicines is also adequate, so the people need not worry about the shortage of medicines and face masks," Sjafril added.
According to Wahono, who is also the former dean of Pancasila University's Faculty of Pharmacy, haze victims should undergo a comprehensive health examination as they are at a risk of developing cancer in the long run.
He said the haze victims, who were prone to developing cancers, were children, elderly, and expectant mothers due to their reduced immunity.
The negative impacts of haze on health included respiratory disturbance, nasal problems, and lung diseases. Currently, numerous haze victims have been suffering from respiratory infections.
The same issue was also highlighted by Pancasila University's pharmaceutical professor Yahadiana who argued that unfavorable environmental factors, including haze, could trigger the development of cancers. However, the impacts could be detected only in the long run.
"Some 90-95 percent of cancers are caused by environmental factors, while the genetic factor only accounts for about five to 10 percent," Yahadiana pointed out.
Therefore, the professor stated that the government needs to conduct health checks, such as random DNA examinations on the haze victims, Yahadiana noted.
Therefore, House Speaker Setya Novanto called on the government to provide free medical treatment to the haze victims.
"The House of Representatives will support the assistance provided by the government, including face masks. Good-quality face masks need to be further distributed," said Novanto.
In the meantime, the government will propose a life insurance assistance for 1.2 million holders of Welfare Family Card (KKS) affected by thick smoke from hundreds of forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
"We have communicated with the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) regarding a life insurance assistance for the affected people. It is possible for them to get a life insurance assistance," Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said.
According to Parawansa, the haze disaster caused by forest and land fires had disrupted the income of the affected people.
"The Social Service Ministry has calculated the number of the affected people. Nearly 25 percent or 1.2 million of the poor people in six provinces currently hold Welfare Family Card (KKS)," she said.
"The plan is being discussed by the Directorate General of Budget, Ministry of Finance," she said.***4***(A014/INE)EDITED BY INE(T.A014/B/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 21-10-2015 17:24:4 |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar