UGM has deployed a disaster response team to aid survivors in earthquake and tsunami affected areas in Central Sulawesi Province.
There are at least 41 medical personnel being deployed, including general practitioners, general surgeons, internal medicine specialists, pediatricians, orthopedic doctors, as well as forensic, nutritionist, and nurse teams. Most of them are from Dr. Sardjito General Hospital.
“In the meantime, we send them for health services and need assessment for the next team,” said Head of Community Service Sub-Directorate in charge of Disaster Response Unit UGM, Nanung Agus Fitriyanto, Ph.D., Tuesday (10/10).
Nanung stated some medical personnel were placed in Bhayangkara Palu Hospital to revive the hospital which was filled with dead victims and reopen patient services. Meanwhile, some others were placed in Morowola Health Center.
Additionally, Nanung added, UGM is preparing to send students for disaster response community service. The team will be placed in Sigi Regency to support disaster response efforts at several points in the area.
“Execution of disaster response community service is possible in Sigi Regency. This is still developing,” he explained.
For disaster response in Central Sulawesi, Disaster Response Unit team synergize with KAGAMA Care volunteers who also conducted assessments and aid distribution.
“The KAGAMA Care team has been in Palu since Saturday morning and 5 people will do the assessment. This Thursday, 15 more people will depart from Yogyakarta,” said Komo.
From the assessment result, the team built the main post in Lolu Village, Biromaru District, Sigi Regency. In the near future, health post services will be expanded to Jono Oge and Sidera Villages, even to other districts.
To date, the KAGAMA Care team has started distributing aid, mainly basic needs, through these posts. Moreover, the volunteers also continued to do assessments to identify needs in the field to develop advanced programs by collaborating with various related groups.
These programs, Komo continued, will be designed similar to programs that have been carried out in Lombok, which include rehabilitating public facilities, building clinics and emergency schools, trauma healing efforts, and making programs to rebuild tourism to drive the community’s economy.
“We duplicate the programs in Lombok,” Komo said.