"The government will bear the medical expenses of people who were exposed to or became sick by the caterpillars but the caterpillar`s infestation at present still causes minor health problems like allergy and itching," the minister said here on Wednesday.
She made the remarks on the sidelines of her visit to a Tropic Center Hospital within Campus C of the University of Airlangga that would be inaugurated here next June-July.
Accompanied by the University of Airlangga Rector, Prof Fasich Apt, the minister said that medical treatment for caterpillar victims should actually serve as the last step because the important thing was to prevent the explosion of the pest.
"For prevention, I think the ministry of agriculture has taken steps to eliminate the caterpillar pest through spraying pesticide," she said.
However, the minister suggested the locals would let predators such as lizards, birds and `mindi` trees eliminate the pest.
"We heard that if the caterpillars are given `mindi` leaves they will become dizzy and die," the minister said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
