Sumatra Floods: Indonesia Aims To Fully Restore Health Facilities By March

JAKARTA, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- Indonesia aims to restore full operations at all health facilities in flood- and landslide-hit areas of Sumatra as early as March, as authorities accelerate post-disaster recovery efforts following weeks of widespread disruption.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said recovery efforts entered a third phase in early January after authorities completed assessments and repairs at 87 hospitals and 867 community health centres (puskesmas) in the first two phases.

Speaking at the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) daily press conference on Wednesday, Sadikin said the third phase focuses on restoring the full functionality of medical equipment and assets, including computers and hospital beds, across affected facilities.

He said all 87 hospitals, including nine that were inundated by floodwaters up to waist level, had resumed operations within two weeks of Phase One, followed by the restoration of services at 867 community health centres under Phase Two in the third week of December.

“Alhamdulillah, by early January only three facilities were still unable to resume operations namely Rusip Antara in Central Aceh, Jambur Lak Lak in Southeast Aceh, and Lokop in East Aceh,” (Alhamdulillah awal Januari hanya tinggal tiga belum boleh beroperasi di Rusip Antara di Aceh Tengah, Jambur Lak Lak di Aceh Tenggara, dan Lokop di Aceh Timur),” he said.

According to data from the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB), floods and landslides that struck three provinces in Sumatra — namely Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra — in late November last year claimed 1,178 lives and displaced more than 238,500 people.

On Wednesday, President Prabowo Subianto announced the formation of a National Post-Disaster Recovery Task Force, to be chaired by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian.

Sadikin said about 4,000 volunteers had been mobilised throughout the post-disaster recovery period, comprising personnel from various institutions and organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, professional associations, universities, and polytechnics.

-- BERNAMA