604 Children In Pekanbaru Exposed To ARI, Dominated By Under 5 Years Old

The South Sumatra Health Office (Dinkes) has paired masks to children at the South Sumatra DPRD five intersection, Palembang, Sunday, October 1, 2023. (ANTARA-Nova Wahyudi)

RIAU - Pekanbaru City Health Office recorded as many as 604 children in Pekanbaru were infected with Upper Respiratory Channel Infections (ARI) with Pneoumia. Most of them are also children under five years old.

Head of Pekanbaru Health Office Zaini Rizald said the number of children under five who experienced ARI with Pneoumia reached 575 people. Meanwhile, overall children and adults, the total number of ARI cases with Pneoumia reached 618 people.

"For the ISPA case in Pekanbaru City, children are dominated, we urge parents to reduce children's activities outside the home," he said in Pekanbaru, Riau, Thursday, October 11, which was confiscated by Antara.

He continued, this condition is still at risk due to the smoke fog that used to burn the land is still ongoing today. His party appealed to the public to be aware of a number of diseases as a result of the smog.

In addition, he added, there are a number of diseases as a result of smog fog other than ARI. He detailed the disease, namely asthma, eye irritation, chronic lung disease to heart disease.

"So we urge the public to anticipate all diseases that are the impact of smog fog," he explained.

The Health Office, he said, had also conveyed that the public health center in Pekanbaru City had prepared a special room for ARI patients. This is to accelerate access to health services for ISPA patients affected by the smog.

Zaini said that children, pregnant women and the elderly are very vulnerable to being affected by the smog. "Later, a special ISPA room will be provided at the puskesmas," he said.

Zaini hopes that the conditions of the smog in 2015 will not happen again. He recalled that at that time the air quality in Pekanbaru City had touched a dangerous level.