JAKARTA CITY GOVT DISTRIBUTES 32,398 TAMIFLU TABLETS

Jakarta, May 9 (ANTARA)- The Jakarta city administration has through its health office distributed some 32,398 Tamiflu tablets to 338 community health centers in its jurisdiction in anticipation of swine flu outbreaks.

"The capital city administration has distributed the tamiflu tablets in anticipation of possible swine flu outbreaks," Jakarta health office public relations officer, Tini Suryanti, said here Saturday.

In addition, the city government had also supplied the Tamiflu tablets to three hospitals, namely the Suryanti Saroso Hospital in North Jakarta, Persahabatan General Hospital in East Jakarta and Gatot Subroto Hospital in Central Jakarta.

"However, we don't know the quantity of Tamiflu tablets supplied in the three hospitals," she said.

In the meantime, the pharmaceutical coordinator at the Gambir community health center, Dian Ekawati, said the center had received Tamiflu tablets for 1,200 people but 800 of the tablets were past their expiry date.

Swine flu refers to influenza caused by strains of influenza virus that usually infect pigs. However, according to scientists, Swine flu that originated in Mexico last month and killed 22 people in Mexico and one person in U.S., is a combination of human, bird and pig viruses. ***