Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Health Ministry aims to complete the construction of four new state hospitals in four provinces this year, said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the ministry's communication and public service bureau, on Thursday.

"The existence of these hospitals will strengthen the existing referral health service system," Tarmizi said.

The four hospitals are the UPT Vertical Hospital in Surabaya, East Java; the UPT Vertical Hospital in Makassar, South Sulawesi; the vertical hospital in the new capital city of Nusantara, East Kalimantan; and the vertical hospital in Jayapura, Papua.

Tarmizi said that the new hospitals will be fully equipped to treat cancer, heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.

The construction of the four hospitals started in 2023 and is targeted to be completed this year, she said.

"The two vertical hospitals in Papua and Makassar are planned to become health centers for central and eastern Indonesia, such as Maluku, Papua, Sulawesi, and Kalimantan," she said.

Tarmizi explained that the Surabaya Vertical UPT Hospital has been designed to provide comprehensive services ranging from diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative, especially for catastrophic diseases. Vertical UPT hospitals are also expected to compete with other hospitals in Asia.

Last year, the ministry opened a new vertical hospital, Dr. Ben Mboi General Hospital, in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). With the opening of the hospital, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and uro nephrology patients do not need to go to other areas for treatment, which would also involve higher costs, Tarmizi said.

Besides serving patients, the vertical hospital will also serve as an educational hospital and a research center and contribute to health development, she remarked.

She added that besides building new hospitals, the ministry is also setting up additional infrastructure to serve mothers and children at six vertical hospitals in five provinces: Jakarta, West Java, Yogyakarta, Bali, and South Sulawesi.

The six hospitals are Dharmais Cancer Hospital and Persahabatan Hospital in Jakarta; Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, West Java; Dr. Sardjito Hospital in Yogyakarta; Prof. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah in Denpasar, Bali; and Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

"This newest service is targeted to start operating this year," Tarmizi said.

Related news: Indonesia negotiates to build field hospital for Gazans: Minister
Related news: Minister targets Surabaya's vertical hospital as cancer super hub


Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2024