Aceh Tamiang is still reeling from the impact of heavy and harmful flooding that rendered its only regional hospital inoperable. The Aceh Tamiang Regional Hospital is in dire straits. It’s reeling from a lack of available medicine, wiped out infrastructure, and an explosive increase in disease instances among the people who call it home. The floods have not only disrupted medical services but have claimed the life of a newborn, underscoring the urgent need for assistance in the region.
The disaster hit the district of Aceh Tamiang well with 31 hospitals and 156 smaller health facilities being impacted throughout the compound district. As medical professionals confirm a recent increase in sickness, the public health response is further confounded by an ever-worsening reality. The hospital is all but crippled, as emergency rooms are slated to reopen only this coming Monday. This continued delay threatens the community’s patient access and risks the safety of residents who depend on this critical service.
Damaged Facilities and Struggling Staff
The Aceh Tamiang Regional Hospital has been heavily impacted – mud covered stretchers and medical equipment. Nurhayati, an intrepid nurse, is still managing the delivery of newborns under these awful circumstances. She expressed her frustrations, stating:
“People know me as a nurse. When I couldn’t do something, it felt devastating. I can only give the available medicine.”
With resources stretched to the breaking point, medical professionals such as Nurhayati are working tremendous efforts to deliver medical treatment while facing insurmountable adversities. They face a lack of adequate supplies to treat the increasing number of patients afflicted by diseases triggered by the floods.
Ayu Wahyuni Putri, another healthcare worker at the hospital, illustrated the dedication of her colleagues:
“These workers do not know what tired means.”
The actual medical staff always struck me as just incredible—so, so dedicated. They were overrun in the wake of the disaster with symptoms that arose from an environment that turned unsanitary due to the storm.
Infrastructure Challenges
Flooding has hugely impacted regional and local transportation routes. As a consequence, health employees have a difficult time travelling through Aceh Tamiang and access the secondary referral hospital. Destroyed bridges have made the hardest hit region even more isolated, making it more difficult to bring in humanitarian and medical assistance. Dr. Chik M Iqbal faced tremendous obstacles as he made his way to the hospital. The roads were all but impassable, compelling him at times to journey specifically by boat.
Dimas Firmansyah, a local resident, shared his experience during this crisis:
“We stayed for about a week there.”
His statement is illustrative of the awful reality that many residents, including my aunties and uncles, are still experiencing while recovering from last year’s floods.
Immediate Response Needed
In fact, local officials have called this disaster extraordinary. On behalf of Aceh’s doctors, they highlight the urgent need for immediate assistance to return healthcare services to Aceh Tamiang. With resources quickly draining and the need for medical care growing by the hour, the crisis is all too real.
A healthcare system that was already stretched thin is now teetering on the edge of collapse. The Aceh Tamiang Regional Hospital’s capacity to adequately serve its community depends on quick action from governmental and non-governmental organizations.
