- Title: INDONESIA: JAKARTA DECLARES THE SARS VIRUS AN INFECTIOUS AND DANGEROUS DISEASE
- Date: 3rd April 2003
- Summary: (U3 JAKARTA, INDONESIA (APRIL 3, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE BY INDONESIAN HEALTH MINISTER AHMAD SUJUDI AND PEOPLE'S WELFARE MINISTER JUSUF KALLA 0.08 2. PHOTOGRAPHERS 0.12 3. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) INDONESIAN HEALTH MINISTER AHMAD SUJUDI SAYING "The health ministry declares SARS an infectious and dangerous disease. Thus it is now applicable into law no.4/1984 on infectious diseases" 0.27 4. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 0.30 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) SUJUDI SAYING "We realize that Indonesia covers a very large area with many entry points, where people come and go. Therefore it is necessary to apply this law so that we would not later be overwhelmed or fail to tackle the outbreak." 1.00 6. JOURNALISTS 1.05 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) WELFARE MINISTER JUSUF KALLA SAYING "If anyone is found to obstruct government efforts in handling SARS, avoid being examined for SARS, fail to report to health authorities, they could be charged with one year in jail under this current law" 1.19 8. MORE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (3 SHOTS) 1.34 9. WS: EXTERIOR OF JAKARTA INFECTIOUS DISEASE HOSPITAL 1.40 10. MV: ENTRANCE TO EMERGENCY WARD WITH AMBULANCE OUTSIDE 1.44 11. WIDE OF BRIEFING ABOUT SARS TO NURSES AND DOCTORS 1.49 12. SCU: DOCTOR SPEAKING AT BRIEFING 1.58 13. VARIOUS OF HOSPITAL STAFF LISTENING (2 SHOTS) 2.09 14. WIDE OF NURSES STANDING ON SPECIAL WARD ASSIGNED TO HANDLE SARS CASES 2.15 15. SCU/SV: NURSES PUTTING ON STERILIZED PROTECTIVE GEARS (2 SHOTS) 2.29 16. VARIOUS OF ISOLATION ROOMS (2 SHOTS) 2.46 17. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) DOCTOR ZUKLIFLI, DEPUTY HEAD OF EMERGENCY WARD, SAYING "We have not yet positively identified a SARS patient but we have two suspected cases, one of which has been released from hospital whereas the other is still being treated here but has little possibility of actually having SARS." 3.10 18. VARIOUS OF NURSES WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR CHECKING EQUIPMENT (2 SHOTS) 3.24 19. WIDE OF HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM 3.29 20. VARIOUS OF HOSPITAL STAFF WEARING MASKS BEHIND COUNTER (2 SHOTS) 3.41 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 18th April 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Reuters ID: LVA530IMYJNPDN2B1MJ4M82KQN0Q
- Story Text: Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, has
declared a deadly flu-like virus an infectious and dangerous
disease, opening the way for tough precautionary steps as it
braced for a possible outbreak.
Indonesia has declared the flu-like SARS virus an infectious
disease, allowing tough regulations as the country, the
world's fourth most populous nation, braces for possible
outbreak.
Health Minister Ahmad Sujudi said three people who had
fallen ill were being treated as though they had Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which has killed 79 people
worldwide and infected 2,300.
"The health ministry declares SARS an infectious and
dangerous disease. Thus it is now applicable into law
no.4/1984 on infectious diseases," Sujudi said, adding that
none of the three patients are in critical conditions.
Asked if the cases had been confirmed as Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Sujudi did not answer directly,
only saying that authorities will treat all cases as SARS "for
the sake of the country and people".
"We realize that Indonesia covers a very large area with
many entry points, where people come and go. Therefore it is
necessary to apply this law so that we would not later be
overwhelmed or fail to tackle the outbreak," Sujudi said.
Welfare Minister Yusuf Kalla, who attended the news
conference with Sujudi, said the declaration meant people who
avoided being examined for possible SARS infection or
interfered with investigations could face up to a year in
jail. Anyone intentionally spreading the disease could be
jailed for 10 years.
"If anyone is found to obstruct government efforts in
handling SARS, avoid being examined for SARS, fail to report
to health authorities, they could be charged
with one year in jail under this current law," Kalla said.
Meanwhile, hospitals across the country have been prepared
for an outbreak of SARS. Doctors and nurses have been briefed
about the disease and isolation rooms have been prepared.
"We have not yet positively identified a SARS patient, but
we have two suspected cases, one of which has been released
from hospital whereas the other is still being treated here
but has little possibility of actually having SARS," Doctor
Zukifli, deputy head of emergency ward at Jakarta Infectious
Disease Hospital, said at the briefing.
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