Bima Arya Mayor 'Debt Of Life' To Bogor City Hospital

Photo of Bima Arya via Bogor City Government

JAKARTA - Mayor of Bogor, West Java Bima Arya Sugiarto recalled his story when he was first attacked by COVID-19. Bima Arya admitted that he 'owed his life' to the Bogor City Regional General Hospital (RSUD) who treated him at that time.

"I 'ow my life', I became the first COVID patient in Bogor City and was treated at the RSUD room 01," said Bima Arya during the inauguration of the MRI 3 Tesla, CT-Scan 128 Slice, and ESWL medical device facilities by Deputy Minister of Health Dane Saksono Herbowono at the Bogor City Hospital, Saturday, November 13.

Bima Arya had been treated at the Bogor City Hospital since March 19, 2020 for about three weeks, after returning from an overseas trip in Turkey.

"Therefore, I appreciate the Bogor City Hospital," he said when giving a speech at the event, quoted from Antara.

This year's Bogor City Hospital is seven years old -- where for the previous 30 years it was the Karya Bhakti Hospital whose contract has expired on land owned by the Bogor City Government -- and will surely face many challenges.

The mayor said that the Bogor City Hospital, apart from being the only hospital owned by the Bogor City Government, was also the only hospital that served people from outside the city of Bogor.

He then asked the Director of the Bogor City Hospital, Dr. Ilham Chaidir, what percentage of the Bogor City Hospital serves patients from the Bogor Regency, Ilham answered 40 percent.

"There are 40 percent serving the community from Bogor Regency," he said.

Deputy Chairman of the West Java DPRD, Achmad Ru'yat, also gave a speech at the event, including mentioning that the Bogor Regency Government has four hospitals, namely Cibinong Hospital, Leuwiliang Hospital, Cileungsi Hospital, and Ciawi Hospital, and one hospital that is under construction in Parung.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Bogor added that the Bogor City Hospital also aspires to become a research hospital. He advised the Director of RSUD to realize these ideals, careful and integrated planning is needed.

In the development and expansion of RSUD facilities, for example, he said, the Directorate General of Health and Health of the Ministry of Health had reminded him that the construction of the building should not be patchy and should not depend on incoming assistance.

"Well, the Director of this RSUD continues to lobby and serve, every time there is a development, he always reports to me, because he is 'excited'. Like last night, he called me at night," he said to laughter from the audience.

He also hopes that with the completeness of the new medical device facilities, it can improve hospital services to the community in maintaining health quality.