Viral Maternal Child Referred To Hospital Using Fishing Boat, Aceh District Government Budgeted IDR 1 Billion Buy Sea Ambulance

JAKARTA - The Aceh Besar District Government has prepared a budget of IDR 1 billion for the purchase of a sea ambulance in 2021. The ambulance will function as public health transportation in the Pulo District (Island) Aceh.

"The procurement of sea ambulances will be carried out in 2021," said Head of Public Relations and Protocol of the Aceh Besar Government, Muhajir, who was contacted from Banda Aceh as quoted by Antara, Friday, March 12.

The purchase of a sea ambulance followed news that a woman named Darmayanti in Aceh Besar had to be referred to Zainal Abidin General Hospital, Banda Aceh by using a fishing boat.

She was referred after the delivery process at the Aceh Island Health Center. The head of the Aceh Island Health Center, Misriadi, said that the patient had to be referred to the hospital because the placenta did not come out (retention of placenta).

Patients have to be taken to a public hospital because there are no adequate facilities at the puskesmas. Muhajir continued, on the island of Aceh, there was indeed no preparation for a special ship.

If there are residents who need to be referred to the capital city of Aceh Province, the only means of transportation available are fishing boats with an estimated trip of about 90 minutes.

Muhajir said the sea ambulance procurement will be tendered this year through the Aceh Besar Regional Secretariat's procurement service unit (ULP).

The fund prepared is IDR 1 billion, sourced from the Aceh Besar district budget (APBK) 2021 for the purchase of an ambulance ship.

If there are no obstacles in the tender process and its construction, then around June or July the ambulance will be available.

"Around Rp1 billion for this year, the plan is for one ship first. It is estimated that around June or July there will be an ambulance boat if there are no obstacles," said Muhajir.

To note, Aceh Island is a sub-district in Aceh Besar, located at the westernmost part of Indonesia. There are three settlements and 17 villages, about 30.6 kilometers from the center of the capital city of Aceh Province, Banda Aceh.