A 7-Richter-scale earthquake in Lombok on Sunday (5/8) took the lives of 90 people, injured hundreds others and damaged thousand of homes.
To help the victims that need medical care, UGM has sent 3 teams from Sardjito General Hospital, UGM Hospital, and Tegalyoso Hospital. They will help local hospitals in giving medical services to the victims.
“Today we start deploying surgery specialists from Sardjito and medics from UGM and Tegalyoso hospitals. A total of 15 will depart today,” said UGM Vice-Rector for Research and Community Service, drg. Ika Dewi Ana, M.Kes., Ph.D, on Monday (6/8).
Ika explained since the earthquake that previously occurred on 29 July, UGM had activated the Disaster Response Unit UGM (DERU-UGM) team, conducted by emergency response assessment and activities by two 2 units of Student Community Service that were doing projects in West and East Lombok.
The students gave help in shelters, providing direct assistance in form of food while medical students giving medical assistance along with local community health centres and medical workers.
She said the students were coming to the front guard in the second earthquake particularly in drug provision. Currently, medical treatment becomes the priority of DERU UGM.
“The current priority is on health, both general medical and surgery, as well as medicines. Later we will send a psychology team that is much needed after a disaster,” she added.
Furthermore, UGM will send a team from Civil Engineering department to help the architect team already on the ground to assess physical condition of the buildings that are affected by the earthquakes.
“In addition, we will soon send a Student Community Service for Disaster team to Lombok to replace the current team who will be withdrawn on 12 August,” said Ika.