Elderly West Jakarta Fire Victim Continues Dialysis Despite Displacement

A heartbreaking story emerges from the evacuation site of the Krendang Barat fire in Tambora, West Jakarta. A 65-year-old elderly woman, a victim of the blaze, continues to struggle with dialysis treatment amid limited facilities at the temporary shelter.

Sofi, 33, the victim’s daughter, explained her mother suffers from kidney and heart complications, requiring biweekly dialysis sessions every Wednesday and Saturday.

“My mother’s house was completely burnt. She has been undergoing dialysis for six months due to kidney and heart complications,” Sofi said during an interview at the Musala Al-Hikmah evacuation shelter in Tambora on Friday (29 May).

Her health deteriorated rapidly from the shock of seeing her home destroyed. Besides psychological stress, the family panicked as critical medical documents and regular medications were lost in the fire.

However, concerns were eased after the Jakarta Health Department (Dinkes DKI Jakarta) swiftly ensured emergency healthcare services. The scheduled dialysis for Saturday (30 May) has been confirmed to proceed.

“Fortunately, an ambulance has been arranged from the shelter to collect my mother tomorrow for dialysis at Sumber Waras Hospital,” Sofi added.

Dr. Sendy, a Tambora District Health Centre officer, confirmed the “mobile service” system is in place to ensure all evacuees, especially vulnerable groups, receive adequate medical care.

Regarding dialysis patients, Dr. Sendy assured inter-agency coordination has been carried out to maintain treatment schedules despite missing physical referral documents.

Although emergency medical services are available, evacuees still seek special attention for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children. The overcrowded shelter conditions are deemed unsuitable for long-term health recovery.

Urgent logistical needs at the Tambora evacuation shelter include:

The Jakarta Provincial Government, through the Social Affairs Office and local health centres, continues to address logistical needs and validate affected residents’ data for further aid distribution. (Ant/I-1)

The fire, caused by an electrical short circuit, destroyed 27 houses across eight RTs and impacted approximately 200 residents.