President Jokowi Kicks Off S. Sumatra Working Visit

President Jokowi visits Rupit General Regional Hospital in North Musi Rawas regency, South Sumatra province, Thursday (05/30). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/Muchlis Jr)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo visited Rupit General Regional Hospital in North Musi Rawas regency in South Sumatra province on Thursday (05/30) to assess the adequacy of the hospital’s human resources and medical devices.

In a press statement following the visit, the President expressed his satisfaction with the hospital’s availability of medical specialists and medical devices. “I am happy that North Musi Rawas General Regional Hospital has adequate human resources, doctors, and specialists. Everything is available,” he said.

President Jokowi pointed out that the hospital has received medical devices from the Ministry of Health, including surgery and CT scan devices, while underscoring the main issue the hospital faces, namely insufficient electricity supply.

“The problem is that the [state-owned electricity company] PLN does not provide sufficient electricity, so I directly called the President Director to immediately solve the issue,” he said, showing that the Government gives a quick response to the lack of infrastructure that may hinder healthcare services.

The President also stressed that the whole regency of North Musi Rawas faces the electricity issue while expressing hope that the electricity infrastructure will be improved shortly, considering the important role it plays in supporting the operations of healthcare facilities and the provision of public services.

For the record, the inspection is part of the Government’s endeavor to ensure that Indonesia has adequate health infrastructure, especially in remote areas.

Following the hospital visit, President Jokowi is slated to continue the South Sumatra working visit to Lawang Agung Market to inspect commodity prices and disburse assistance to local vendors.

In the afternoon, the President will head to Musi Rawas regency to examine the facilities and healthcare services at dr. Sobirin General Regional Hospital, and to Lubuklinggau city to inspect the warehouse of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and distribute food assistance to beneficiaries.  (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/AIT) (DH/MMB)