Fernando Tours NTT Earthquake Sites: Air Ambulances Vital for Saving Lives
The Secretary of the Gerindra Party’s Regional Representative Council (DPD), who is also a member of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD), Fernando Jose Osorio Soares, visited a number of areas affected by the earthquake. Fernando said the archipelagic geography and the distances between health facilities pose a serious challenge in handling communities impacted by the earthquake.
The characteristics of NTT as an archipelagic region mean the need for air transport differs from areas with easier land access. He added that conditions on the ground show that the speed of transport is one of the important factors in saving residents who require medical treatment.
Therefore, he assessed that the central government’s plan to provide air ambulances could be a solution to accelerate medical services, especially for residents in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
“So we hope that the President and the Central Government will proceed with the air ambulance plan. We in this archipelagic region really need it. Perhaps people elsewhere do not need it, but we here really need it,” Fernando said in his statement on Thursday (20/8/2026).
During his visit, Fernando also brought a number of medicines based on recommendations from medical personnel and specialist doctors. The assistance from the Gerindra Party is expected to increase the supply of medicines at health facilities serving communities affected by the disaster.
“The specialist doctors provided many recommendations. So we brought quite a lot of medicine. Hopefully this can add to the medicine stock here and also perhaps complete medicines that are not yet available here,” he said.
During the visit, Fernando observed the condition of one community health centre (puskesmas) which further highlighted the scale of the health service challenges in the area. He said the health facility he visited at the earthquake location had to serve as many as 5,774 residents with the support of only one doctor and 15 nurses.
According to him, this condition becomes even more difficult when a disaster occurs. In addition to the limited number of medical personnel, residents are spread across areas that are far apart, so the evacuation process and patient referrals take time.
“Imagine, 5,774 people served by one doctor and 15 nurses. During a disaster, what happens? Then they are scattered, far away. How do we save lives?” he said.
Fernando stressed that the need for air transport is not merely a matter of shortening journeys. In emergency situations, travel time is directly linked to patient safety.
“We are not talking about anything else here. This is about lives. People who do not understand, people who are not in that situation might think we are talking nonsense. But for those who face this kind of situation, this is something we really, really need,” he explained.
Therefore, Fernando hopes that the idea of President Prabowo Subianto and the central government regarding the provision of air ambulances can be realised, especially for archipelagic regions, remote areas, and areas with limited access to referral health facilities.
He assessed that the presence of air ambulances could accelerate the evacuation of patients in critical condition while also supporting the mobility of health workers, medicines, and medical supplies when regular transport routes are difficult to use.
“So we hope for this. Mr President, Central Government, the air ambulance plan. We in this archipelagic region really need it. Perhaps people elsewhere do not need it. But we here really need it. And I am sure that all regions across Indonesia certainly need it,” Fernando concluded.