Belu to have health center on stilts

Belu to have health center on stilts

ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara: The Belu regency health office plans to build community health centers (puskesmas) on stilts in the three districts of West Malaka, Central Malaka and Kobalima. The project is budgeted at Rp 11.4 billion (US$1.4 million).

"We hope that by having puskesmas on stilts, we will be able to serve the people during the rainy season, when Belu is usually flooded," office head Valentinus Pareira said on Friday.

The annual flooding of Benanain river has halted medical services in the area.

The latest floods on May 16 claimed 125 lives, damaged 5,209 hectares of farmland and killed 26,013 cattle. One hundred doctors and paramedics were deployed to help the flood victims. -- Antara