“About 4,000 volunteers are registered. There are also around 1,000 unregistered volunteers who went directly to the field. We do not prohibit this, but it is better for them to register first,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Wednesday during a press conference with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
Through the HEOC, the ministry manages volunteer rotations and work schedules to ensure healthcare services remain available at all times, he said.
The volunteers come from various institutions and organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), hospitals, professional associations, medical faculties at universities, and health polytechnics.
Sadikin noted that a large number of people have participated as volunteers, reflecting Indonesians’ strong sense of solidarity and empathy.
He emphasized that volunteers must be resilient and possess good communication skills, as they are required to provide mental health support to displaced people, including children, in addition to treating physical illnesses.
“When someone is seriously ill, volunteers must be able to coordinate with BNPB or the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) to arrange referrals, including medical evacuation by helicopter if needed,” he said.
As part of each deployment batch, the ministry sends around 30 to 35 clinical psychologists to address mental health needs.
“They tell stories, entertain, and make children laugh, because not all problems are physical. Many have experienced trauma, including the loss of parents, and this is something we must address as well as possible,” he said.
On the same occasion, Head of BNPB’s Center for Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Abdul Muhari said the ministry’s swift deployment of personnel and resources reflects the government’s commitment to assisting communities affected by the disaster.
“We are pushing progress in all aspects of recovery so that people across the three affected provinces can return to normal as soon as possible,” Muhari said.
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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Primayanti
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