MALAYSIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS HELP TREAT VICTIMS AHMAD FUAD YAHYA

YOGYAKARTA, Nov 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysian medical students at the Gadjah Mada
University here are helping Hospital Sarjito to treat hundreds of victims of the
Mount Merapi explosion.

Instead of returning to Malaysia, the 38 students has continued their clinical
programme at the hospital, which is part of the university.

Malaysian education director in Indonesia Dr Junaidy Abu Bakar said the hospital
needed their help to treat 287 people badly injured in the disaster which has
claimed at least 141 lives so far.

The students were also helping to treat a big portion of outpatients suffering
the effects of hot gas and volcanic dust.

The emergency situation was making the learning process for the students more
intense and fast, Junaidy said.

Junaidy also said that an officer had been posted to Yogyakarta to look after
the welfare of the students and monitor the situation there.

If further explosions make the area vulnerable, the students will be moved to
Solo or another safe place, he added.

He said the students were in good health.

On Sunday, 378 Malaysian students from several academic institutions in
Yogyakarta were flown home by the Royal Malaysian Air Force from Solo.

The students were granted leave by their institutions until Nov 13, but the
education department is asking that it be extended beyond Nov 17.
-- BERNAMA