Health Office Ensures Health Centers In Garut Return To Normal After Being Affected By Earthquake Damage M 6.2

Illustration of residents receiving health services at the Padasuka Health Center, Cimahi City, West Java, Monday, July 24, 2023. (ANTARA-Ricky P)

The Garut District Health Office (Dinkes) ensures that health service facilities at health centers and hospitals (RS) have returned to normal after being affected by damage due to earthquake shocks with a magnitude (M) of 6.2.

"The service was not disturbed, everything went well because the damage was light," said Head of the Garut District Health Office Leli Yuliani in Garut, Tuesday, April 30, as reported by Antara.

He said the earthquake on Saturday, April 27, had caused damage to hospital buildings and health care facilities in a number of sub-districts in Garut.

Health facilities were reported to be lightly damaged, he said, Pameungpeuk Hospital, Cisandaan Health Center, Pamulihan Health Center, Cibalong Assistance Health Center, Sukanagara Assistant Health Center, Cisompet, Neglasari, Tegalgede, and Karangsari Cikelet.

The earthquake shock damaged the condition of health service buildings such as the roof, but the damage was reported not to endanger patients or interfere with services, so it was confirmed that health services would continue as usual.

He conveyed that the damage to the health facility building would be immediately repaired through the Garut Regency Government's Unexpected Cost (BTT) budget along with the recovery of other building conditions, such as residents' houses and public facilities.

"Yes, the Garut Regional Government has budgeted from BTT for handling the impact of disasters, including minor damage to health facilities," he said.

Acting (Pj) Garut Regent Barnas Adjidin stated that the local government (Pemda) in mutual cooperation with other policy makers will overcome the impact of the earthquake disaster, including repairing health service places.

"Of course the impact of this must be resolved immediately. Do not let there be facilities that are supposed to serve but cannot," he said.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the tectonic earthquake in Garut Regency had a magnitude of 6.2, Saturday, April 27 at midnight, centered at sea 151 km southwest of Garut Regency, with a depth of 10 km and no potential for a tsunami.

The incident was recorded to have injured six people, then 464 houses were damaged, 54 public facilities and infrastructure were also damaged, such as hospitals, schools spread across 29 of the 42 sub-districts in Garut.