Fri, 12/05/2008
The island's largest hospital, RSUP Sanglah, now has a dedicated and fully equipped ward for treating patients with bird flu, opened Thursday with a modest pemlaspas (purification) ceremony.
The ceremony, which Balinese Hindus believe is necessary for any new building before it can be used, was organized by the hospital and the Bali Health Agency. The ward lies in the hospital's Nusa Indah wing, which is dedicated to the treatment of tropical diseases.
"The building is part of an effort to improve the island's preparedness to cope with avian influenza and other communicable diseases," Bali Health Agency head Dewa Made Oka said.
Oka said the establishment of the bird flu ward underlined the Bali administration's commitment to fighting any future epidemic.
Bird flu outbreaks hit Bali in 2004 and 2007, claiming two lives.
The last reported case of bird flu on the island was in March, when the veterinary agency found five infected chickens in Karangasem regency.
"Since then we have not found any new cases nor detected any indication of the disease's presence. Hopefully, we will not find any case in the future," he said.
The two-story, fully air-conditioned ward has 27 beds. The first floor hosts four intensive care chambers and a large room with six beds to treat patients suspected of having contracted avian influenza.
The ward is equipped with a sophisticated air regulation and filtering system. The physicians and paramedics assigned to the ward are obliged to wear additional personal safety equipment.
The construction of the ward started in 1997, and has cost the Bali administration nearly Rp 2.7 billion (US$222,680).
Secretary of the Sanglah Avian Influenza Mitigation Team, Ken Wirasandhi MD, said the building's design was based on the standard set by the World Health Organization. Sanglah is the second hospital in the country to have a dedicated bird flu treatment ward.
"The ward can also be used to treat patients who contract other communicable diseases, such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and rabies," he said.
He said that with the ward in full operation, the hospital would be able to offer high-quality treatment for patients.
"The existence of the ward will also enable us to convince foreign tourists not to be afraid to visit Bali even when the island is facing an epidemic," he said.
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