Jayapura, Jubi – Director of Jayapura’s Dok 2 Regional General Hospital Anton Mote said about 300 inpatients were evacuated from the hospital after a 5.4 magnitude earthquake shook Jayapura City on Thursday, February 9, 2023. They are now being treated in tents set up on the hospital grounds.
“There are six tents that we set up, and all patients are treated in the tents because the hospital rooms were cracked by the earthquake. The patients accommodated in the tents are from the baby care and the intensive care unit. There is also an obstetrics tent and a mixed tent of internal medicine and pediatrics,” Mote told Jubi on Thursday.
Mote said there were four people from Jayapura City who died in Thursday’s earthquake. They were taken to Dok 2 Hospital but could not be saved.
“There were no fatalities among the hospital’s patients. The victims were from outside,” he said.
Mote said that on Thursday afternoon he had contacted the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to check the condition of Dok 2’s treatment room. The establishment of tents in the yard of Dok 2 Hospital followed the recommendation of BMKG Region V Jayapura.
“The BMKG suggested that several rooms not be used due to cracks caused by the earthquake, therefore we evacuated 300 patients to six tents,” he said.
Mote said the BMKG Region V Jayapura also did not recommend the use of the Emergency Room (IGD) at the hospital. The hospital will soon build tents to provide emergency services.
Mote said he received tent assistance from BPBD Papua Province and the Ministry of Social Affairs. “We are still coordinating with them, if we need tents, we will contact them again. For now, it is sufficient,” he said.
According to him, a number of services at Dok 2 Hospital were disrupted because the earthquake damaged a number of medical facilities and equipment. “Radiology and laboratory examinations are inside the buildings that collapsed due to the earthquake, so the equipment is not functioning. We will do another mapping,” he said.
Nevertheless, Mote emphasized that Dok 2 Hospital would remain open and accept patients. “We will always be ready to accommodate people who come to Dok 2 Hospital seeking health services,” he said. (*)
