Jakarta, January 19, 2026 – The Europe Today: Indonesia’s Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the government is aiming to fully restore health services in disaster-affected areas of Sumatra by March 2026, as efforts continue to rehabilitate damaged medical facilities and support affected healthcare workers.
“Our next target is to have everything fully restored by March. We have listed all the hospitals and community health centers, along with the remaining shortfalls,” Sadikin told a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Monday.
The minister said a number of healthcare facilities are still facing shortages that hinder smooth service delivery, including thousands of mattresses damaged by mud during recent floods. He added that all ambulances were damaged during the disaster.
“During the flooding, all ambulances were damaged. They requested new ambulances, but I refused,” Sadikin said, noting that instead the ministry sought assistance from automotive companies, including Astra, Daihatsu and Isuzu, to repair the vehicles.
He said around 70 to 80 per cent of ambulances are now back in operation, while other government and private vehicles remain damaged and are still undergoing repairs.
The Health Ministry is also accepting donations to accelerate the replacement of essential medical equipment, including X-ray machines, to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services in the affected regions.
Beyond restoring facilities, the ministry is prioritizing the rehabilitation and reconstruction of homes belonging to healthcare workers impacted by the disaster.
“Healthcare workers must serve the community. How can they work if they are still struggling to repair their homes?” Sadikin said.
To address this, the ministry has submitted data on about 3,265 damaged homes of healthcare workers to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and the Ministry of Home Affairs for assistance. Under the proposed scheme, housing aid would amount to Rp15 million (US$863) for minor damage, Rp30 million (US$1,762) for moderate damage, and Rp60 million (US$3,452) for severe damage.
Sadikin expressed hope that repairs to healthcare workers’ homes could be completed before Ramadan or Eid al-Fitr, allowing them to focus fully on providing services to communities as recovery efforts continue.
