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loods that have submerged a number of regions in Indonesia over the past week have begun to result in major health consequences for local residents, as hundreds in the affected areas report the quick spread of respiratory and other diseases.

In West Sumatra, at least 250 residents within the Pasaman regency reportedly suffer from gastritis, acute respiratory infections (ISPA) and/or skin diseases after heavy downpours brought floods to the Rao and Panti districts, home to more than 2,000 people.

Pasaman Health Agency head Desrizal said on Saturday that all the patients had received treatment at Puskesmas (local community health centers).

'€œThere is a possibility that the diseases have emerged due to shock and anxiety,'€ he said, adding that the agency had also set up health posts in the affected districts to provide emergency medical aid.

Meanwhile, in South Sumatra, residents of the North Musi Rawas regency have been struggling with the widespread skin diseases that emerged after floods inundated some parts of the region earlier this month.

M. Kosim, who lives in Muara Rupit subdistrict, said he and his family members had been suffering from itchy skin over the past week, adding that, after they began to scratch, red, pus-filled spots had also appeared on their skin.

Kosim claimed that dozens of people in his village were also experiencing a similar condition.

'€œWe have received some medicine from the Puskesmas, but it doesn'€™t work,'€ he said on Saturday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

After a prolonged dry season, the rainy season finally arrived in many parts of the country in December and has since intensified.

A series of heavy downpours have subsequently triggered floods in several provinces, including Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau and Central Java.

In West Sumatra, at least seven people have died over the past week due to floods and landsides triggered by heavy rains.

On Saturday, search and rescue team members in South Solok regency managed to recover the body of a 2-year-old child after a landslide had buried a house in Alam Pauh Duo district the previous Monday, killing the child and five other family members.

In Riau, floods have hit three regencies: Kampar, Rokan Hulu and Kuantan Singingi. Leaders of the three regencies have declared an emergency response status, saying they were overwhelmed with carrying out anticipative measures.

Meanwhile in East Java, floods from the overflowing Kalikemuning River in Sampang had submerged thousands of houses across the regency since Thursday and have killed at least one local resident.

The victim, 14-year-old Faisal Sipli, was swept away by the river'€™s strong current on Thursday. His body was finally found two days later.

Sampang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Wisnu Hartono said the flood had been the region'€™s biggest to date.

'€œWe have experienced some floods in the past, but never this big,'€ he told Antara.

In Aceh, at least three regencies '€“ East Aceh, North Aceh and Bireun '€“ have been hit by floods triggered by heavy rains and overflowing rivers.

The North Aceh BPBD reported on Saturday that at least 4,000 residents had moved to public facilities, like schools and mosques, or moved to relatives'€™ houses after floods submerged seven districts in the region.

Meanwhile in Bireuen, Jeunieb district is reported to be the worst-hit area in the regency as it was engulfed by up to 1-meter-high floodwaters.

'€œMany villagers have fled their homes to stay in the district'€™s capital so as to avoid the worsening situation,'€ Jangot Tungko subdistrict bead Apriadi said.