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South Sulawesi Girl With Maggots Needs Six Months to Recover
January 24, 2010

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Doctors said over the weekend that 12-year-old Ummi Darmiati who is suffering from an infestation of maggots under her skin would need six months of intensive treatment to recover from the strange disease.

“Our medical team is familiar with cases like Ummi’s, and the condition is curable. But the situation is very critical as scores of worms have infested many parts of her body, almost reaching her head, so she needs intensive treatment,” said Khalid Saleh, chief of the medical team at Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

He said the sixth-grader’s strange disease developed two years ago, when wounds on her armpits, neck, and chest were treated with traditional medicine and subsequently became infected.

The wounds festered, attracting flies which laid eggs, resulting in maggots inside the girl’s body.

“The worms entered her body, causing the disease to become stranger and worse,” Khalid said.

He added Ummi had undergone surgery to remove the maggots and that her condition was improving after seven days of treatment.

“She still requires further examination at our lab, because our hospital ’s medical team has diagnosed her with glandular tuberculosis,” Khalid said.

At Mamuju Hospital, where Ummi was initially admitted, she underwent an intensive medical exam, including blood tests.

Another series of similar tests will be conducted at Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital. If Ummi is confirmed to have glandular tuberculosis the team will return her to Mamuju Hospital.

“If [we] confirm Ummi is suffering from glandular tuberculosis we will administer additional medical treatment to hasten her recovery,” Khalid said.

Meanwhile, help for Ummi continues to flow in from sympathizers. Several state officials and politicians from Mamuju district paid visits to comfort and encourage the girl on Sunday.

On Friday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the Health Ministry and the local health agency in Mamuju to do their best to help her.

 

Antara