The Response Of The NTT Provincial Government After The Cases Of Helpless Tourists On Komodo And Padar Islands

Visitors watch a number of Komodo dragons on Rinca Island, Komodo National Park Area, NTT, in December 2018. (Antara)

NTT - The Provincial Government of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) will place health workers for emergency medical services if tourists get sick while traveling to Komodo Island and Padar Island, West Manggarai Regency.

Head of the East NTT Tourism Office, Sony Z. Libing, said that this step reflected several cases of sick tourists on Komodo and Padar Islands that could not be helped due to the absence of medical personnel in the two tourist areas.

"After the central government gives authority to the NTT (Provincial, red) Government to manage the Komodo tourist area, several strategic policies will be carried out in that area to support the development of the tourism sector, including placing medical officers on Padar Island and Komodo Island", said Libing in Kupang, NTT, quoted from Antara, Monday, July 4.

According to him, the NTT Provincial Government will place medical officers on Komodo and Padar Islands in August 2022 to handle emergency cases in case of sick tourists.

"The NTT government will definitely build health posts both on Komodo Island and on Padar Island, if there are tourists who are sick they are immediately treated, so that no fatal things happen to tourists, after being treated, they are immediately evacuated to Labuan Bajo for more adequate medical treatment", said Libing.

He explained that it was time to build a health post in the two tourist areas so that tourists who visit feel safe while in the tourist area which is visited by many tourists.

He also appealed to tourists who have a history of illness not to travel to Padar Island because they have to climb to the top.

"If there is a history of illness, you should not go to Padar Island but can go to other tourist locations around Labuan Bajo because climbing on Padar Island must require excellent energy", he said.