The emergency response period in Lombok, ended on Saturday (25/8/2018), giving way to the reconstruction and rehabilitation process. However, sanitation remains problematic at many shelters, especially in hamlets not located near major roads.
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NORTH LOMBOK, KOMPAS – The emergency response period in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), ended on Saturday (25/8/2018), giving way to the reconstruction and rehabilitation process. However, sanitation remains problematic at many shelters, especially in hamlets not located near major roads. Diarrhea and acute respiratory infection are spreading among the evacuees.
Sanitary facilities at many shelters in the regencies of West Lombok and North Lombok were found to be in a poor state on Sunday (26/8). A lack of clean water, inadequate washing and toilet (MCK) facilities and inadequate tents have led to many evacuees falling sick.
In Gangga district of North Lombok, for instance, many evacuees staying in shelters are exposed to dust as they have been sleeping in partially-open tents. They are forced to use irrigation culverts for MCK needs. This was found in Karang Bedil hamlet, Gondang village.
Saharti, 50, of Karang Bedil was just accompanying his wife, who was suffering from diarrhea, to the Gangga community health center (Puskesmas). “The water supply is only enough for ablution and cooking. As for other needs, including bathing and defecating, we [resort to] the irrigation culvert,” Saharti said.
Another resident, Cici Susantri, 31, said her 2-year-old daughter Anindya kept vomiting and defecating. Cici has brought Anindya to the Puskesmas four times, where she was diagnosed with diarrhea. “She has refused to eat for two days. She just wants milk,” Cici said at the Puskesmas. She was accompanied by her husband M. Anhar, 33.
Baiq Willia, the doctor at Puskesmas Gangga, said most of her patients were suffering from diarrhea or acute respiratory infection (ISPA). Symptoms of ISPA including coughing and a runny nose. “Every day, between 80 and 100 patients come here to seek treatment. A majority of them, including children, have diarrhea or ISPA,” she said.
Dirty toilets
At the shelter in Menggala village, Pemenang district, locals no longer use the portable MCK facilities, as the septic tank has overflowed. The toilets are also broken and dirty. “When we want to go to the toilet, we just use the river. We do the same for washing. We don’t always get clean water. Perhaps other shelters need water more than us,” said Rianto, 38, who stays at the shelter.
Almost everyone of about 500 people at the shelter is ill. Manggala villager Marlia, 32, said many had caught diarrhea. “Everyone in my family had it. Now, only my youngest has it. We have just returned from the Puskesmas in Pemenang with her,” Marlia said.
In the past week, 706 patients have visited Puskesmas Pemenang. “The dirty environment and poor sanitation are the problem,” said Nurul Fatmi, a nurse at Puskesmas Pemenang.
In a shelter with around 1,400 displaced people in Kekait village, Gunung Sari, many are complaining of the limited availability of toilets and clean water. “We have only three toilets for men and three others for women. With this many evacuees, sometimes all the toilets are occupied and we have to go to the river, both for defecating and for washing,” said Raudatul Hasanah, 34.
Puskesmas Gunung Sari head Akmal Rosamali said that, every day, 150-200 locals visited the 24-hour emergency service provided in the Puskesmas’ yard. Many of them suffer from ISPA, indigestion, itchy skin, eye irritation, hypertension, fever or diarrhea.
Data from the North Lombok regional general hospital in Tanjung show that it has accepted 4,392 evacuees as patients as of Wednesday (22/8). Many of them were admitted with diarrhea, ISPA, skin diseases or broken bones. “In the first week, many patients were suffering from broken bones and wounds. In the second week, there were many with diarrhea and ISPA,” hospital spokeswoman Pipit Lestari said.
Amid the huge number of displaced people falling sick, stocks of medicines and medical equipment at many Puskesmas are depleting. Nurse Muji Kurniawan in Puskesmas Pemenang said the Puskesmas was running out of medicine for diarrhea, itchy skin and ISPA. He said the supplies would only be enough for another three days. The Puskesmas in Gunung Sari and Gangga have enough medicine for diarrhea and ISPA, but both lack medical equipment.