Buddhists and Muslims can reach the hospital easily."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Burmese doctors who will be serving at Indonesian Hospital in Rakhine State, Myanmar, will first study in some hospitals in Indonesia, Presidium Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) Sarbini Abdul Murad said.

"Some hospitals that are currently willing to help them are Police Hospital of dr Soekamto in Kramat and the Indonesian Red Cross Hospital in Bogor," he said during a visit to Indonesian News Agency Antara here on Friday.

In those two hospitals, doctors from Myanmar will learn to treat patients from various backgrounds and ethnicities. As professionals who work for humanity, doctors must not discriminate their patients.

"In addition to sending their doctors to study here, the government of Myanmar has also asked us to bring our doctors to work there," Murad noted.

MER-C Indonesia will build an Indonesian Hospital in Rakhine State, in an attempt to pursue peace amid social conflicts between Buddhists and Muslims in the country.

According to Murad, his organization is currently working closely with the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and Representative of Buddhists in Indonesia (Walubi) to realize the plan.

He has also communicated with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is also the PMI chairman, regarding the plan.

The cooperation showed the harmony between religious communities in Indonesia, he remarked.

The MER-C had earlier managed to build an Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, Palestine.

The construction of the hospital is one of the efforts to conduct soft diplomacy in conflict areas.

Hospitals, which are viewed as a neutral place where people from both sides can interact with each other, can also provide long-term benefits to the victims.

Indonesian Hospital in Rakhine State will be built in Muaung Bwe Village, with an area spanning more than seven thousand square meters.

"It is located at the border of Buddhist and Muslim settlements. Buddhists and Muslims can reach the hospital easily," he remarked.

MER-C has collected funds worth around Rp12 billion to build the hospital, whose construction is expected to cost a total of Rp25 billion.

Murad called on Indonesian people to participate in the development of the hospital. The construction will start in Sept 2017.

"The construction is expected to be completed in early 2018," he revealed.

(Reported by Dewanto Samodro/Uu.Y013/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2017