Government Ensures Healthcare Services, Basic Needs for NTT Earthquake-Affected Communities

The Government continued to accelerate efforts to address the impact of the earthquake on the second day post-disaster in several areas of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province. These measures included expediting the restoration of healthcare services and ensuring that the basic needs of affected communities are met.

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Pratikno made the statement after inspecting Ruteng Regional General Hospital in Manggarai regency on Sunday (08/16).

“First, healthcare services must be prepared immediately. Therefore, a field hospital is currently being set up, in addition to the renovation of existing hospitals,” Pratikno stated.

In addition to ensuring healthcare services for affected communities, the Minister conveyed that the Government would continue to ensure the fulfillment of public’s basic needs, both while undergoing treatment and while staying in evacuation shelters.

“Furthermore, of course, there are the basic needs of the community aside from healthcare, including the necessities during their temporary stay at the hospital and evacuation shelters,” he noted.

In line with these efforts, the Minister mentioned that the distribution of essential supplies to affected communities was already underway. Among the assistance delivered were 50,000 packages of basic food assistance (sembako) provided by the President, which had arrived in Maumere and Labuan Bajo.

“In those areas, the President also provided additional assistance of 50,000 packages of basic necessities and instructed us to divide tasks across several regions,” he explained.

In addition to meeting basic needs, Pratikno assured that the Government would continue to conduct accurate data collection on communities affected by the disaster. However, emergency response efforts remain the Government’s top priority.

“Saving people and providing healthcare services to them are the foremost humanitarian responsibility that we must carry out,” he concluded. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (YA/AW)