REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU -- Health Department of Pekanbaru, Riau Province, revealed the number of people with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (ISPA) continued to increase. The victims which were exposed by smog from forest fires in the week increased up to 2,000 inhabitants. Total ISPA patients in Pekanbaru nowadays has reached 4,700 people.

"The data was gathered from 20 health centers in Pekanbaru," said Chief of Pekanbaru Medical Officer, Helda S Munir, in Pekanbaru, Wednesday (16/9).

Helda claimed that the increase was remarkable and believed that the actual number of patients with respiratory infection was much greater if it was accumulated with patients who went independently to the Hospital.

"It is clear the impact of smog and the deteriorating of air quality in the last three weeks," said Helda.

Besides ISPA, the smog has had an impact also on other diseases such as diarrhea, skin irritation, eye irritation and pneumonia. In normal days, the diseases rarely appeared, so that ISPA has became an extraordinary incident that requires serious handling.

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