FOREIGN COUNTRIES SUPPORT "SURYA BASKARA JAYA" HEALTH OPERATION

Ambon, Feb 8 (ANTARA) - A number of foreign countries have expressed readiness to support the "Surya Baskara Jaya" public health service operation in Maluku, scheduled for July 3-6, 2010.

"Warships from the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia will be mobilized to support the Surya Baskara Jaya operation as part of Sail Banda 2010," Maluku provincial administration spokesman Pieter Norimarna said here on Monday.

He said the warship from the United State would support the operation in Ambon city and Banda, Central Maluku district, while the operation in West Seram (SBB) would be supported by Malaysian warship and in Southwest Maluku (MBD) district it would be supported by Australian warship.

"The Surya Baskara Jaya public health service health operation or floating hospital, will be coordinated by the Health Ministry in coordination with the Maluku health office and the administrations of the target regions," Norimarna said.

He said they had welcomed the foreign countries' participation in the operation which would indirectly promote Maluku's marine tourism potentials, especially Sail Banda 2010 in their respective countries.
"Sail Banda 2010 is scheduled for July 24 - August 17, 2010," Norimarna said.

Meanwhile, Southwest Maluku acting district head Frangky Renjaan was of the opinion that the Surya Baskara Jaya public health service operation in MBD was strategic because the area was still short of medical experts and paramedics.

"I will coordinate with the Maluku health office to fix the schedule of the operation in order to direct the local people to the locations of the operation," Renjaan said.

As a new district which was expanded from West Southeat Maluku (MTB) district on September 16, 2009, Renjaan admitted that the area still had a lot of health problems relating to facilities and infrastructure, medical experts, paramedics, specialist doctors, health equipment, and medicine.