ARE YOU 'BANJIR' READY????
By Dr. Madan M. Vasandani

During the floods, like many Jakartans, I was stranded at home. And like most Jakartans, I experienced a power shortage. Panic started to engulf me as my mind started to wander: what if the floods don’t recede? Do I have enough supplies to last till the floods recede? What if a health emergency occurs at this moment, how do I take my dear ones to the hospital? Do I have all the medicines that my family may need?

With this article I would like to concentrate more on the medical aspects that surrounds flooding or in Bahasa Indonesia it is famously known as ‘Banjir’. What medicines and what precautions should you take, should another flood (God forbid) hit Jakarta again. 

Medicines you should have in your house

Name	Preparation
Ibuprofen	Tablet and syrup
Paracetamol	Tablet and syrup
Cold and cough preparation containing a mucolytic like guaifenasin and an antihistamine like cetirizine	Tablet and syrup
Electrolytes just in case diarrhea or vomiting sets in to any of your family members	Sachet
Vitamins	Syrup and tablets
Betadine	Solution
First aid kit
Enough supply of your long term medication
Domperidone for vomiting	Tablet and syrup

       Make sure you read the insert before giving these medicines to your children

                 

One important thing that most Jakartans tend to neglect is emergency preparedness. If you are living in Jakarta, I hope by now you realize that we don’t have a dedicated emergency hotline like a 911. For medical emergencies, make sure you know the phone number of the nearest able hospital which has an ambulance service. This number should be easily accessible by everyone including your ‘pembantus” A good place to stick this number is your refrigerator.

Beyond medical supplies and emergency numbers, make sure you are well stocked in your canned foods and my experience is that a cup of hot chocolate during floods alleviates a lot of anxiety. Have a safe rainy season Jakartans.

If you have any health concerns, do not hesitate to make an appointment with our General Physicians at 5706208.