Jakarta – Two months and more than 300 deaths after a deadly outbreak of dengue fever across the country, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has declared the epidemic a problem. She urged hospitals and officials to help all patients, even if they are unable to pay for treatment.
She also advised Indonesians to take steps to prevent the virus from spreading further.
"I want to convey my deepest condolence. I pray and hope the victims will be given patience and strength to overcome this trial," Ms Megawati said in a rare nationwide television broadcast on Thursday.
"I ask all hospitals to accept dengue fever patients and deal with them quickly and properly, without taking into consideration their backgrounds or economic abilities."
As of yesterday, the outbreak had killed 312 people in 24 of Indonesia's 32 provinces and sickened more than 17,289 others since the mosquito-borne disease was first detected last month, said the Health Ministry.
Presidential palace official Garibaldi Sudjatmiko said: "President Megawati was shocked over the high number of victims. Its rate of increase is shocking and she wanted to convey her concern."
The President's speech came after a station aired footage on Tuesday and Wednesday of her responding only with nervous giggles when reporters asked her to comment on the outbreak. Both Ms Megawati and the government have been criticised before for not responding quickly enough to emergencies and disasters and for promising, but not delivering on, aid to victims.
Most Indonesians do not have health insurance and the poor have limited access to quality medical care. Long lines of patients and their families have crowded hospitals in Jakarta, which has the most dengue cases. Babies are among the many sufferers who cannot get proper beds, and lie on mattresses in packed corridors.
Health Ministry official Dr Rita Kusriastuti said her office on Thursday delivered all available intravenous-drip bags to treat patients at state and private hospitals.
Health officials are checking whether a new strain of virus was to blame for the unusually high death rate this year from dengue, which is an annual affliction here.
"We are conducting a series of tests but even if we discover a new strain of virus, it will not be of much help," Dr Kusriastuti said. "The main focus now is on how we can prevent the deaths from rising. The patients at hospitals must be helped and the doctors must be able to provide quick and precise aid for them."
Health Minister Ahmad Sujudi said his office was trying to halt the outbreak, in which "the number of infected people is three times higher than the average number a year before". "But the efforts from the government will not be enough," he said.