Riau Residents Suffering Haze-Related Illnesses

The Jakarta Globe 10 Jul 09;

Dumai, Riau. Thousands of Dumai residents are suffering from acute respiratory problems as a result of the thick haze that has blanketed the city for the last two months, a senior health official said on Friday.

Marjoko Santoso, the head of the Dumai health service’s environmental health and disease control unit, said the number of people suffering from respiratory problems had sharply increased due to the haze.

“From June to the first week of July, the local health service reported 2,663 Dumai residents suffering from acute respiratory problems,” he told state-run news agency Antara on Friday.

Marjoko said the haze, which has covered Dumai for the last two months, came from forest and plantation fires.

“The number of respiratory cases this year is significant, with around 500 patients a week, bringing the number to 2,663 people,” he said.

Marjoko said 2,028 people suffered from coughing and flu, 38 from pneumonia, 36 from asthma, 30 from eye irritations, 263 from skin irritations, and 68 from conjunctivitis.

Before the haze settled over the city, he said there were about 400 reported cases of respiratory problems each month, but that number had increased significantly, especially among children.

He encouraged residents to stay at home. “People should not go out if it is not urgent, but if you must go out please use face masks because the haze is extraordinarily thick,” Marjoko said.

Haze reduced visibility to just five meters on Friday morning. Pinang Kampi airport in Dumai was closed on Thursday because haze reduced visibility to less than 300 meters.

The haze was so thick in Riau this week that health officials distributed masks to residents in several districts.

According to data from Pekanbaru’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, there are at least 10 districts in Riau that have been affected by haze from forest fires this month. The 10 districts are Rokan Hilir, Pelalawan, Bengkalis, Indragiri Hulu, Rokan Hulu, Indragiri Hilir, Siak, Dumai, Kampar and Kuantan Singingi.

The State Ministry for the Environment has promised to conduct an investigation into the fires.

Antara

Riau city on highest level haze alert
The Jakarta Post 11 Jul 09;

Riau province's city of Dumai has declared a state of highest alert over thickening smog created by the annual burning of forest and land, Antara news agency has reported.

“We are also calling out the people to wear face-mask when outdoor and to be cautious of health problem related to the haze,” said Dumai deputy mayor Sunaryo on Saturday.

More than 2,600 Dumai residents are suffering from respiratory problem due to thicker haze in the area over the past one month.

Local health agency reported that the number of sufferers had increased significantly, especially among children.

The haze has reduced visibility to only 5 meters and forcing the closure if airports in Pekanbaru and Dumai. (dre)