Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - The East Java provincial government has proposed to set aside Rp2 billion from the regional budget for the prevention and treatment of H1N1 virus or swine flu patients in the region, a local official said.

"Previously we proposed Rp1 billion through the revised financial budget (PAK)," head of the provincial health office, Pawik Supriadi, said here Tuesday in a hearing with the Provincial Legislative Assembly (DPRD) here Tuesday.

The Rp1 billion budget was combined with another financial allocation for the eradication of other contagious diseases in the province such as HIV/AIDS, TBC, Leprosy, including bird flu with the total of funds reached Rp2.8 billion, Supriadi said."
But, the increasing number of swine flu patients had forced the provincial health service office to propose an aditional allocation of budget worth Rp1 billion for the swine flu case handling, Supriadi disclosed.

"So, the total number of funds we proposed for the overcoming of the swine flu cases amounting Rp2 billion," the official said.

Supriadi, however, disclosed that the budget will not be approved until after September 2009.

In the meantime, head of the East Java provincial DPRD`s commission C, Suhandoyo agreed on the additional budget for the swine flu prevention and the patients handling.

Meanwhile, Director General of Disease Control and Sanitation Tjandra Yoga Aditama previously said swine flu spread fast because the virus was communicated from human to human through direct contacts, coughs or items in touch with the victims.

The health ministry said in its press statement received in Jakarta on last Friday the new cases were found in Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Riau Islands, Bali, Yogyakarta, North Sumatra, East Java, East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan.
source : http://www.antara.co.id/