Palu, C Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Emergency medical facilities have operated to handle earthquake and tsunami victims in Palu, Central Sulawesi, the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) secretary-general M. Adib Khumaidi said.

"Mobile Clinics and the Palu General Hospital (RSUD) can treat the victims along with the availability of logistics for medicines," Khumaidi stated here on Thursday.

IDI and the National Alms Agency (Baznas) will make a medical post at the airport in an effort to observe the condition of patients who leave or return to Palu," Khumaidi remarked.

IDI, along with the military, has deployed medical teams to provide care and treatment to those affected by earthquake and tsunami.

Hospital ship KRI Dr Soeharso had docked at port of Palu to deal with the victims in the disaster area.

Based on an assessment report from IDI, around 80 percent of earthquake and tsunami victims needed orthopedic treatment.

However, the rapid movement of the medical team could address the problem.

President Joko Widodo earlier noted that logistic distribution for the victims of 7.4-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami in Central Sulawesi needs to be improved.

He noted that several existing teams in the fields failed to reach certain areas affected by the natural disasters.

Widodo instructed that the logistic distribution problems must be solved immediately, Bey Machmudin, a presidential spokesman, stated in a statement here on Thursday.

After visiting several areas in Palu and Donggala districts in Central Sulawesi on Wednesday afternoon, the Head of State chaired a limited meeting at the Mutiara Sis Al-Jufrie airport in Palu.

The president presented results of evaluation of disaster handling operations in the meeting, which was attended by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Health Minister Nila Moeloek, Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Willem Rampangilei, and Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) M Syaugi.

The president asked the Central Sulawesi governor and his subordinates to urge the public to resume their economic activities, and shop owners to open their shops.

"We invite them to open their shops, with security guarantee by police and military officers, in economic areas, so that the economy will be back to normal," he added.

Reporting by Ricky Prayoga
Editing by Aziz Kurmala

Reporter: Ricky Prayoga
Editor: Bustanuddin
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