November 12, 2014

Young Girl Dies of Rabies

A nine-year-old girl has died after contracting rabies. The girl with initials N.K.A. died on Friday (31/10) after being treated at Sanglah General hospital isolation unit for two days. The girl had been bitten by a dog two months prior to her death and did not receive any treatment immediately after the bite. She is the fifth person to die of rabies in Sanglah hospital this year so far. (November 4th 2014)

Bali Hit by Drought

Head of the Bali’s Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Dewa Made Indera stated that five districts in Bali are currently experiencing a severe drought. The five districts in question are Jembrana, Buleleng, Klungkung, Bangli and Karangasem. One of the most severely hit areas is Nusa Penida island, where residents are facing difficulties obtaining drinking water for both themselves and their cattle. According to locals on Nusa Penida, efforts by the government to provide water tanks have fallen short. Ped village representative Wayan Sukasta stated that despite government assistance, many residents are forced to purchase their own drinking water at a very expensive price. (November 3rd 2014)

Indonesia Distributes Aid Cards to the Poor

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has made good on an election campaign pledge to provide a social safety net for the country’s poor. Health cards and smart cards were distributed as part of a concerted effort to cushion the impact of an imminent hike in fuel prices. The President will soon announce a cut in government subsidies for petrol and diesel, a measure that has crippled Indonesia’s annual budget. But the subsidy cut could see fuel costs increase by nearly half. To alleviate the financial burden of families, the Indonesia Smart Cards and Indonesia Health Cards entitle holders to get free schoolbooks and uniforms as well as free medical treatment respectively. Mr. Widodo has been known to support measures creating new jobs among lower socio-economic groups rather than simple cash handouts. The government will aim to channel savings from the fuel subsidy scheme into infrastructure projects and other programs that will have the long-term effect of alleviating widespread poverty. (November 3rd 2014)

Jetstar’s Booking Services Meltdown as Thousands try to Snap up $88 Bali Fares

Angry would-be travelers have taken to social media to vent their frustration after Jetstar’s phones and computer systems went into meltdown late Monday (27/10). The system crash followed Jetstar’s offer of $88 fares to Bali in response to Air Asia’s $99 “introductory” fares on flights from Melbourne to Bali. A Jetstar spokesman said thousands of seats had been put up for sale at $88 from six Australian destinations to Bali. After going on sale at 4pm yesterday, computer and phone systems jammed, leaving travelers frustrated and angry. Despite conceding problems with the website last night due to “significant traffic”, Jetstar has this morning insisted the problems have been resolved and the site is stable. But travelers are continuing to express their frustration on Twitter accusing Jetstar of a publicity stunt with the $88 fares. Jetstar apologized to customers after its computer booking system struggled to cope with heavy traffic triggered by the release of the $88 fares. (October 28th 2014)

Indonesia AirAsia Extra picks Bali-Melbourne for Inaugural Route

Indonesia AirAsia Extra will enter the competitive Australia-South East Asia market with Bali-Melbourne as the low-cost carrier’s inaugural route. The newest affiliate of the AirAsia X group of airlines will launch with five times a week service between the Victorian capital and Bali with the Airbus A330-300 aircraft from December 26 2014. AirAsia X chief executive Azran Osman-Rani, who launched the inaugural route in Melbourne on Monday (27/10), said Indonesia AirAsia Extra would boost capacity on the route by 28 per cent and give the airline a 22 per cent market share in terms of total seats on Melbourne-Bali. Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Garuda Indonesia currently operate from Melbourne to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport. (October 27th 3014)

Migrant Worker Isolated in East Java Over Ebola Suspicion

The health of a 29-year-old Indonesian migrant worker who was admitted to hospital after he returned from Liberia last Sunday (26/10) has worsened and he is now being watched closely for symptoms of Ebola. Dr. Soedono Madiun Hospital in East Java is treating the worker, identified as Muk, as an “ebola suspect” and has put him in isolation, according to its head of medical services, Sjaiful Anwar. “Results from the laboratory show that the patient’s thrombocytes numbers continue to decline,” Sjaiful said, as quoted by Antara news agency. “The patient has also suffered kidney impairment.” Muk was admitted to the regional hospital on Thursday after he fell ill with a high fever, days after returning to Indonesia from Liberia with 28 other Indonesian migrant workers on Oct. 26. Liberia has been one of the countries most affected by the most deadly Ebola outbreak in history. According to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there have been 6,535 reported Ebola cases and 2,413 deaths. Sjaiful said the patient had worked in an area of Liberia where an Ebola outbreak had occurred. (November 2nd 2014)

Leeza Ormsby to be Released from Bali Prison

New Zealander Leeza Ormsby will be released from prison in Bali on November 12th after serving time for drug possession, her lawyer has confirmed. Ms Ormsby, 38, was sentenced to 10 months in jail in July after being arrested for possessing 0.3 grams (0.01 ounces) of hashish during a police raid on a Kuta holiday villa in February. Her lawyer has confirmed to ONE News that she was granted a month off due to good behavior and will be released on Wednesday next week, November 12. Time she had already been in custody since her arrest has also been taken into account. Her lawyer also confirmed the former Sydney resident will be returning to New Zealand, not Australia, as she is a New Zealand national. (November 4th 2014)

SAR Team Searches for Missing German Tourist in Nusa Dua

The Search and Rescue Team of Denpasar has been searching for 71-year-old German tourist, Bernhard Manfred Erich Lubke, who went missing while snorkeling at Nusa Dua Beach. “The victims wife reported that he went missing while snorkeling at the Nusa Dua Beach,” spokesperson of the SAR Office at Denpasar, Rama, said here on Friday (31/11). In their efforts to find the missing tourist, the SAR team was assisted by personnel from the Water Police and the Balawisata of Nusa Dua. The missing German national went snorkeling at 4.30 pm local time. It is being assumed that he was dragged away by a strong current despite the waters being calm. (November 3rd 2014)

Bali to Enforce Smoke-Free Zones

Bali’s capital aims to tighten enforcement of tobacco control laws and make public spaces in Indonesia’s most popular destination smoke-free, Denpasar mayor Ida Bagus Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra said during the 45th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Barcelona, Spain. In December, the city plans to begin communicating messages to the public and tourists informing them of the regulation and penalties violating it, he said. Denpasar’s government also plans to discontinue contracts for outdoor cigarette advertising, and will not grant new licenses, Ida said. “We’re now preparing all the necessary signage to inform [people] about the smoking prohibition and the fine. After six months to one year we will begin stricter law enforcement, because if you enforce the regulation without introducing it first, people will complain,” Mantra said. “The goal is to be like Singapore, where people cannot smoke mindlessly where ever they like,” he added. Mantra said he was not too concerned that controls on smoking in public spaces might affect the city’s tourism income. (November 2nd 2014)

Indonesia Faces Potential Ebola Threat

The Ebola virus can potentially enter Indonesia through its numerous unofficial ports, stated Indonesian Medical Associations former chairman Kartono Mohammad. “Ebola virus is likely to enter Indonesia through numerous unofficial ports or could be transmitted by illegal immigrants,” Kartono remarked here on Friday (24/10). He noted that efforts should be taken to protect Indonesians from the deadly virus as thermal scanners to screen arriving passengers were only installed at international airports. “It is not enough to rely only on the thermal scanners. More efforts should be taken to ensure that the Ebola virus does not get in,” he emphasized. Kartono remarked that as there was still low public awareness regarding this deadly virus, and hence, the government should actively disseminate information about it. (October 24th 2014)