Disease outbreak fears rise in quake aftermath

HEALTH workers in Indonesia’s quake-hit Sumatra are battling to contain local outbreaks of diarrhoea and dengue fever, and require more specialist equipment, officials and a doctor said yesterday.

The 7.6 magnitude quake, which struck on September 30, killed at least 807 people and badly damaged healthcare facilities in the city of Padang and surrounding areas.

About 10% of the region is still without a local health clinic, said Gde Yogadhita, the World Health Organisation’s emergency field operations programme manager.