President Jokowi Calls for Enhancement of Health Facilities at Berau’s Dr. Abdul Rivai Hospital

President Joko Widodo inspects health facilities at dr. Abdul Rivai Regional General Hospital, Berau regency, East Kalimantan province, Thursday (09/26). (Photo by: Bureau of Press, Media, and Information (BPMI) of the Presidential Secretariat/Muchlis Jr)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Thursday (09/26) inspected health facilities at dr. Abdul Rivai Regional General Hospital, Berau regency, East Kalimantan province.

Upon arrival, the President personally reviewed various facilities, including the service counter, dental clinic, surgical clinic, internal medicine clinic, and several other health facilities.

In his statement to the media, President Jokowi commended the development plan of dr. Abdul Rivai Hospital, praising its well-structure design.

The President also said that he would discuss with the President-elect to ensure the swift completion of the hospital’s construction.

“Dr. Abdul Rivai Hospital in Berau is impressive as it has a master plan to elevate its facilities to meet high standards,” said the President.

The President also emphasized the need to continuously improve health services for the Berau community, particularly in addressing challenges related to inadequate hospital facilities and infrastructure. The President ordered the local government to participate in improving health services at the hospital.

“The plan includes additional CT-scans, then mammography, cath lab (catheterization laboratory), ICU equipment, all of which will be provided and prepared by the (Central) government. However, the local government must be responsible for constructing the rooms the buildings,” said the President.

Meanwhile, Director of dr. Abdul Rivai Hospital dr. Jusram in a separate statement explained that the Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) at dr. Abdul Rivai Hospital reaches 92 percent, which is far from ideal. In addition, another urgent need for the hospital is the renewal of a number of medical devices.

“Our CT scan is 11 years old and needs to be upgraded to the 128 slice version. Additionally, we need an MRI machine, as currently, we have to refer patients due to the lack of this essential equipment,” said dr. Jusram.

He also expressed his gratitude for President Jokowi’s visit and hoped that the visit could have a positive impact on health development in Berau regency.

“We hope President Joko Widodo’s visit to Berau will have a positive impact on the development of healthcare in Berau Regency, particularly in improving hospital facilities. Given Berau’s remote location in the northern part of East Kalimantan, far from referral centers, enhanced healthcare infrastructure is crucial,” said Dr. Jusram. (BPMI Setpres/DNS) (TM/EP)