The head of state conveyed this statement at the launch of the Ben Mboi Hospital in Kupang City on Wednesday.
The hospital, built with a budget of more than Rp420 billion, or around US$27 million, has complete health facilities that can meet the medical needs of local residents.
Jokowi remarked that the Ben Mboi Hospital is considered large, as it is built on an area of 14 hectares and with a building area of 35 thousand square meters.
The president noted that the hospital has ultra-modern health facilities to offer health treatment to communities.
The president expressed hope that the new hospital would continue to be maintained, so that it can improve health services for the community.
He remarked that earlier, East Nusa Tenggara's residents had to fly to Jakarta to seek complete health treatment.
However, with the new hospital having adequate medical personnel, local residents do not have to travel far for receiving optimal health treatment anymore.
"East Nusa Tenggara residents no longer need to travel for treatment because now there is a hospital that has complete facilities for health services," the president stated.
He is optimistic that the shortage of specialists in the hospital can be addressed soon.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that Ben Mboi Hospital is part of the health infrastructure development in eastern Indonesia.
Before Kupang, the government also built a hospital in Ambon in order to expand optimal health services to Indonesia's eastern regions.
Sadikin stated that the new hospital in East Nusa Tenggara can support the president's target to build more health facilities in eastern Indonesia.
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Translator: Benediktus J, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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