Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said on Tuesday, December 16, that the deployed personnel include medical students, members of professional organizations, and volunteers.
“There are specialist doctors, general practitioners, nurses, and others,” he said when asked about the composition of the healthcare teams.
He explained that the deployment is intended to ensure adequate post-disaster medical care for residents affected by floods and landslides in Sumatra.
According to Harbuwono, the healthcare workers come from a range of institutions, including universities, professional health organizations, and humanitarian groups such as Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama.
Doctors from the Indonesian military and the National Police are also involved. They will be coordinated with local health authorities to ensure their placement aligns with needs on the ground.
“They will be deployed to evacuation posts, hospitals, and community health centers. The first phase consists of 600 healthcare workers assigned for two weeks, after which they will be replaced by the next group of 600,” he said.
Harbuwono added that the government is also accepting volunteer applications, with deployment schedules and locations to be announced gradually based on conditions and the number of evacuation posts in affected areas.
The deployment was announced earlier by Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin during a Plenary Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday, December 15, as part of the government’s response to disasters in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra.
Sadikin said the initiative reflects the government’s presence in disaster management, supported by logistics and transportation, and aimed at restoring health services for affected communities.
The Ministry of Health also confirmed that hospitals impacted by the disaster in Sumatra have gradually resumed operations.
“On November 26, 41 hospitals were unable to operate due to the disaster. Today, 100 percent of these hospitals have resumed operations, starting gradually with emergency room services and operating rooms,” Sadikin said.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Primayanti
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