"I understand that the government is currently facing complex and severe health issues, particularly the COVID-19 outbreak. But, the trend of increasing number of dengue cases should not be ignored," she said in a statement here on Friday.
Based on data provided by the Ministry of Health, the number of dengue cases has reached 41,883 as of April 14, 2020, which is much higher than last year, when the country recorded 40,425 cases.
Lestari Moerdijat has called for vigilance as the death toll due to DHF has also been quite high. As of April 14, 2020, Indonesia has recorded 266 deaths compared to 354 last year.
"This should become a serious concern for the government. The government needs to remind the public and health apparatuses in the regions to prevent, be aware of, and overcome DHF. We do not want people to be victims," she remarked.
The politician from the National Democratic (NasDem) Party has also asked the government to ensure adequate hospital capacity for treating patients suffering from the novel coronavirus disease as well as dengue.
Dengue fever cases are reported every year in Indonesia, but this year, the number of cases has been unusually high in at least 12 of 34 provinces in the country .
Compared with the same period last year, the number of cases has doubled. Provinces in Java including West Java, Central Java, and East Java, have particularly been severely affected, with more than 35 percent of the cases reported from Jakarta.
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Translator: Imam B, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
