Indonesian police asked to probe into death by bird flu in N Sumatra

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Indonesian police asked to probe into death by bird flu in N Sumatra

http://news.antara.co.id/en/seenws/?id=14665

Medan, N. Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Perjuangan Hukum Politik (PHP), a non-governmental organization fighting for political and legal rights, has asked the police to immediately mount a legal probe into the neglect of government medical personnel in the bird flu (avian influenza/AI) case in Karo regency, North Sumatera, which had caused the death of some people in the area.

The deaths were the result of confusion and different views of the medical personnel in charge of the bird flu attacking the area, President of PHP, HMK. Aldian Pinem, SH, MH, said here on Sunday.

The bird flu attacking Karo regency in May 2006 had killed seven residents, namely Fuji Br Ginting, Roy Karo-Karo, Boni Karo-Karo, Rafael Ginting, Anta Br Ginting, Brenata, and Does Ginting.

Pinem, who is also former chairman of IKADIN Medan office, said that the police based their investigation on articles 13 and 14 of Law no 2 of 2002 on the police and government responsible for medical personnel in charge of overcoming and eradicating bird flu.

In conducting the probe based on the Criminal Law Procedures, he said, PHP will help the investigators (Police) with summoning witnesses including the relatives as well as other members of the Karo community.

After dealing with the witnesses, the police will examine the medical personnel in

charge in Karo regency, and in Jakarta.

Any of the medical personnel found guilty of violating article 359 of the Penal Code, like not quick enough in providing medication which caused death, will be held in police custody. (*)
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Jun 19 02:50<o></o>

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Jakarta calls in bird flu experts amid criticism

Jakarta calls in bird flu experts amid criticism

By Shawn Donnan in Jakarta and Andrew Jack in LondonBy Shawn Donnan in Jakarta and Andrew Jack in London
Published: June 18 2006 19:02 | Last updated: June 18 2006 19:02

An international team of experts will this week conduct an urgent study of measures to reduce bird flu in Indonesia, as the country's human death toll continues to rise.
Indonesia and Vietnam have the highest number of cases of the deadly H5N1 virus ? accounting for 81 of the 123 confirmed human deaths from the virus since 2003 ? and the archipelago is soon expected to account for more human cases than anywhere in the world.
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At least 38 people have died from the virus in Indonesia, according to the World Health Organisation. There have been 43 fatalities in Vietnam.
Experts from the WHO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Unicef and agencies including the US and European centres for disease control will meet in Jakarta from Wednesday, almost a year after Indonesia reported its first human fatality.
The meeting comes amid growing criticism of Jakarta?s response to the H5N1 threat, in particular its failure to control the spread of the virus in animals. There has also been criticism that while Indonesia continues to convene meetings with international experts it is doing little to implement their recommendations.
They were feeling pressure from the international community to do something ?and this is their response to that?, one western expert said on Sunday.
Jakarta is understood to have come under intense pressure at a donors? meeting in Vienna this month that was meant to follow up on $1.9bn (?1.5bn, ?1bn) in pledges made in Beijing in January to help developing countries tackle H5N1. A joint mission by the World Bank, FAO and WHO also offered 30 pages of recommendations for action by Jakarta in April.
A WHO official defended Indonesia, saying it had made great strides in identifying and tackling human infection in recent months and that there was a danger in stigmatising the country.
But suspicion on both sides appears to be contributing to a stalemate with donors over how to finance Jakarta?s plans.
Indonesia has requested $900m over three years to fight bird flu since the Beijing meeting, although western experts say a figure of $200m over that period is more realistic.
But financing even the lower sum has become a challenge, with Jakarta insisting it will not borrow funds to fight H5N1 and donors becoming reluctant to offer grant-financing.
Indonesia?s plan was fine as it stood, one expert said yesterday. ?But it?s sort of academic if you?re not going to implement it. And if you?re not going to implement it unless you get grant financing then what?s your Plan B? Right now they don?t have a Plan B.?

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2006