Gov’t Moves to Establish Field Hospital in Manggarai Following NTT Earthquake

The Government has taken swift measures to ensure that healthcare services for communities affected by the earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) continue to operate.

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Pratikno stated that the condition of Manggarai Hospital was inadequate to serve all patients requiring treatment. Some patients were therefore treated in tents.

“The condition of Manggarai Hospital is inadequate, highly inadequate. As we saw] earlier,  patients were being treated in tents. We have therefore coordinated with Minister of Health to establish a field hospital. It requires a large area, and alhamdulillah, there is a sufficiently large football field here,” said the Minister after inspecting the proposed site for the Field Hospital at Golo Dukal Stadium, Manggarai regency, Sunday (08/16).

Following his inspection of Manggarai Hospital, the Minister said that the field hospital was needed to enhance healthcare-service capacity and provide more adequate space to treat affected patients. He also noted that one of the key requirements for establishing the field hospital was sufficient land.

“This is one of the alternative locations for the field hospital because it requires a sufficiently large area, given that patients from Reo subdistrict, which is the hardest-hit area, are also being referred here,” he added.

Regarding the timeline for constructing and operating the field hospital, the Minister emphasized that the Government would immediately follow up by coordinating with Minister of Health.

“We will coordinate with Minister of Health. We have explored the possibility and inspected the location. Of course, we will coordinate again with Minister of Health as soon as possible, immediately,” he concluded. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (YA/MEP)