Jakarta, ThedailyID — Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming met with several mothers who had recently given birth and were receiving care in an emergency tent at TC Hillers Regional General Hospital in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara, following an earthquake in Sikka Regency.
During the visit on Thursday (August 20), Gibran assured patients that their needs would be addressed as post-earthquake recovery efforts continued.
Gibran also noticed sunlight entering through gaps in the tent covering and asked hospital officials to improve the shelter.
“Please add more covering there,” Gibran told hospital officials, according to Antara, Thursday (20/08)
Most of the patients in the emergency area were mothers who had recently given birth. Gibran said post-earthquake medical services would continue to be improved so patients could eventually return to hospital rooms.
He also said efforts would continue to help residents repair their homes.
During the conversation, Sikka Regent Juventus Prima Yoris Kago jokingly asked Gibran to name one of the newborn babies.
Gibran also inspected other hospital facilities, including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for newborns requiring intensive treatment. He paid particular attention to babies receiving care outside the main building.
Earlier, Gibran visited evacuees at Wairklau Elementary School and inspected damage at Laurentius Say Port in Maumere.
According to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), 71 people had died in the NTT earthquake as of Wednesday (August 19) at 8 p.m. local time.
The agency also recorded 59,647 displaced residents across East Nusa Tenggara, with the largest number of evacuees in Manggarai.
