ESDM Sends 48 Silent Generators to Health Centres Affected by NTT Earthquake
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) is sending 48 generator sets to Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) to support the operation of health services following the earthquake. The assistance is focused on community health centres (puskesmas) that are currently forced to carry out medical activities in emergency tents due to safety concerns and building trauma.
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia stated that the dozens of generators are scheduled to arrive in NTT on Thursday (27/8). The measure was taken to ensure that the electricity supply in the health service tents established by the Ministry of Health remains uninterrupted.
“We are adding a little in relation to the energy sector, fuel and electricity. Tomorrow we will send 48 generators from ESDM for the tents where the puskesmas are not entering the buildings,” said Bahlil during a meeting on NTT earthquake handling with President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday (26/8).
Bahlil explained that the decision to send the generators was the result of coordination with Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin. Currently, many health workers and members of the public remain worried about being inside buildings due to the potential for aftershocks, so services have been moved to open areas.
The need for electricity is crucial to support medical equipment and treatment operations at the temporary sites. Without adequate electricity, the effectiveness of health services for earthquake victims is feared to be hampered.
The 48 generators will be distributed to seven affected regencies. In the delivery process, the Ministry of ESDM is cooperating with Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, who is facilitating the provision of transport aircraft to the disaster location.
Notably, ESDM specifically chose silent-type generators to maintain patient comfort. “Perhaps they are traumatised inside the buildings, so they set up outside. We use silent generators so as not to disturb them while receiving treatment,” Bahlil concluded.