Gibran Promises Type C Hospital for Asmat, Papua

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has promised to upgrade the status of RSUD Perpetua H. Safanpo in Asmat Regency, South Papua, to a Type C hospital.

Gibran stated that strengthening these healthcare services is part of the implementation of President Prabowo Subianto’s priority programme, aimed at providing high-quality and equitable basic services even in frontier, outermost, and least developed (3T) regions.

“I promise that there will be the development of a Type C hospital here in Asmat, so we will also intervene in healthcare issues,” said Vice President Gibran during his visit to Agats District, Asmat Regency, on Sunday (21/6).

During the visit, Gibran inspected the facilities at RSUD Perpetua H. Safanpo and engaged in dialogue with several patients.

The Director of RSUD Perpetua H. Safanpo, Yenny Yokung Yong, noted that the Vice President’s visit to the hospital, which has been developed incrementally since 2016, could accelerate the upgrade from Type D to Type C.

RSUD Perpetua H. Safanpo is one of the hospitals included in the ‘Quick Wins’ programme for the healthcare sector under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming.

Yenny also highlighted that the status upgrade should be accompanied by the addition of essential medical equipment, such as CT scans, to reduce the need to refer patients to other regions and ultimately lower referral costs.

“Because for our hospital, we bear the costs through special autonomy (Otsus) funds for patients who are Indigenous Papuans, specifically the Asmat people,” she explained.

These covered costs include medical assistance and facilities such as transit houses at referral hospital locations in Jayapura, Merauke, and Makassar.