Victory News (Kupang-based), 10/3/12
Anthrax has also been found in the Kabupaten of Sabu Raijua (a cluster of small islands west of Kupang). Around 20 cases have been identified. A vaccination program seems to have controlled the situation (though some animal owners have refused vaccination). The bupati has imposed a temporary halt on inter-island transportation of livestock.
Kompas, 8/3/12
Two kecamatans in Ende Kabupaten (Detusoko and Kotabaru) (central Flores) have been temporarily quarantined because of fears of an outbreak of anthrax. Symptoms of the disease have been found in local villagers thought to have consumed contaminated meat. Tests on the dead animals are still being carried out and, if confirmed, a formal quarantine will be imposed. The last outbreak of anthrax in Ende was in 2007.
Kupang Post, 8/3/12
At a meeting on NTT’s cattle industry in Kupang on 7/3 NTT’s deputy governor Foenay expressed confidence that NTT would be able to support Indonesia’s goal of achieving beef self-sufficiency by supplying, from the beginning of 2014, 5% of Indonesia’s total beef requirements (estimated to be around 0.5 million tonnes). The meeting was held to energize all and sundry to attain the 5% target. In fact, according to Foenay, responsible officials at the conference signed a “performance contract” to do what was needed to achieve the target.
Victory News (Kupang-based), 7/3/12 Editorial
The approach of national examinations (UN) in early April makes it opportune to focus once again on NTT’s education sector. Nationally, NTT has for years now been at the bottom of the list of UN results by province. Ironically, years ago, when education was not such a priority sector, NTT had many schools of national standard. But now, when government is required by law to spend 20% of its total annual budget on education, the quality of Indonesia’s (and NTT’s) education sector has declined. Politicking is not helping. Candidates for elections (including for local governments) promise free education and healthcare during their campaigns, only to forget their promises once elected. It is precisely these two sectors that are in most a mess in NTT. For the education sector, empowerment of teachers and provision of school books have to become priorities.
Victory News (Kupang-based), 10/3/12 Op-ed piece by Dortean A Jois Kaha from State Christian Religious Studies College (STAKN), Kupang.
(In this “think piece” the author underlines the seriousness of malaria for NTT and the difficulties of controlling it, let alone eradicating it. She quotes data from “NTT Dalam Angka 2011” (NTT in Statistics 2011): 129 708 cases of malaria in 2009 rising sharply to 139 747 in 2010 (she provides no data on resulting deaths). She identifies Sumba as the area most afflicted with malaria in NTT (12 000 cases in 2010 alone), but says no area is free of it. While malaria cannot be said to part of the fabric or culture of NTT, she argues that culture-related factors (especially architecture) are very influential—along with constant humidity, hygiene and behaviour. For example, traditional housing on Sumba (high pinnacled ceilings with poor ventilation) is an ideal habitat for malarial mosquitoes. A similar situation can be found in much of NTT, making eradication of malarial carriers almost impossible. As for controlling the disease, she points to several lines of attack, but stresses the importance of getting people to sleep under mosquito nets. Editor)
Victory News (Kupang-based), 10/3/12
Around 600 tuberculosis sufferers have been treated (mostly as out-patients) at Kupang District Hospital (RSUD) in Jan-Feb. The public is being urged to protect themselves from this contagious disease which is widespread in NTT.
Kupang Post, 10/3/12
A 14 year old schoolboy died of dengue in Waingapu East Sumba on 7/3 after 4 days of treatment in hospital failed to save him. Another 20 or so people tested positive to the disease during February/March.
Victory News (Kupand-based), 15/3/12 Editorial
Things have happened over the past year or so to show that NTT is moving from being a province at the margins to being one of middling importance. Just over a year ago, President SBY visited NTT for 3 days and gave NTT’s development a Rp 5 trillion (±US$ 546 m) boost. Yesterday, the Minister for Public Works met with representatives of 14 provinces from eastern Indonesia to discuss public words and hopefully in wake of that meeting NTT will receive a further Rp 5 trillion for infrastructure development. Other signs that NTT is on the move are the 8 airlines now servicing Kupang daily and the numerous good hotels operating in Kupang and elsewhere. Next year’s “Komodo Sail Festival” should be used to put NTT further on the map. But to keep this process going we need to develop NTT’s infrastructure and, above all, in our efforts to attract investment from outside, our bureaucrats have to put NTT’s interests ahead of their own.
Victory News (Kupang-based) 8/3/12
A provincial-level meeting was held in Kupang on 7/3 to review the so called Gemala program—an initiative of some years standing now to get NTTites to “move into the sea” to help bolster NTT’s economy. A senior provincial official addressed the meeting and, in a frank presentation, said that so far the program had not been well implemented. He said it was especially regrettable that sea-based economic activity was being mostly driven by outsiders like entrepreneurs from Sulawesi. Thus, everyone concerned had to work harder to get NTTites, who tended to be land-focused, to “go to sea”.
Victory News (Kupang-based), 10/3/12
Quoting the continuing high death rate of birthing mothers in NTT (15 in Kupang alone in 2012), senior females in NTT (including government officials) are urging expectant mothers to use proper health facilities (rather than traditional medicine men (dukuns)) and, if unable to meet costs involved, to avail themselves of various government social welfare schemes (Jamkesmas, Jamkesda and Jampersal). Women were exhorted to do their utmost to educate themselves and acquire economically and socially relevant skills. Government was also urged to stop relegating women to “second position”.
