"Why Maluku? Based on official data of the Health Ministry in 2014, Maluku has the lowest number of paramedics - around 1 percent of the total number all over Indonesia," President Director of Lazismu Andar Nubowo said here on Sunday.
The floating clinic was the first having provided by Lazismu. The clinic has a number of rooms for medical examination and treatment and is furnished with the necessary instruments for the benefit of the people, who rarely received proper medical treatment.
Floating Clinic of Said Tuhuleley, is expected to to contribute significantly to coping with problem over shortage in medical services , Andar said.
The launch of the program is part of the implementation of the Lazismus programs in outer, isolated and backward communities.
Chairman of the PP Muhammadiyah Hajriyanto Thohari said Maluku is made up of many small islands, therefore, the floating clinic would be helpful for the health of the local people living on the small isolated islands.
"The clinic could provided proper medical treatment and education for the local people," Hajriyanto said.
He said the floating clinic was named after Said Tuhuleley, who was an ardent Muhammadiyah fighter for the marginal communities born in Saparua, one of Maluku islands.
During his chairmanship of the Empowerment Council of Muhammadiyah Community (Majelis Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Muhammadiyah) until he died on 9 June 2015, Said was a leader in the programs to improve the welfare of the poor communities in Maluku, he said.
He said the Floating Clinic of Said Tuhuleley was designed in 15 meter long and 3.5 meter wide ship. It would be officially commissioned by President Joko Widodo on 24 February to coincide with the session of Tanwir Muhammadiyah in Ambon, the capital city of Maluku .
The floating clinic was built at a cost of Rp2 billion coming as a donation from the people through Lazismu, he said.
"Lazismu is optimistic the local people would welcome the floating clinic . So far, the people has supported all program of Lazismu, which is aimed to improve the welfare of the poor," he said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
