NTT Vice Governor and House Commission IX Push for Accelerated Cath Lab Services at Komodo Regional Hospital
Kupang (ANTARA) - Deputy Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Johni Asadoma, together with Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), is pushing for the accelerated operation of the Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab) at Komodo Regional Hospital (RSUD) in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, to strengthen emergency cardiac services for residents and tourists.
“RSUD Komodo plays a strategic role, not only serving the people of West Manggarai but also underpinning emergency services for tourists in Labuan Bajo. We continue to strengthen this health facility, but we still need support from the central government, particularly in meeting the needs of specialist doctors and strategic medical equipment,” said Johni in Labuan Bajo on Friday.
He made the remarks during a working visit by Commission IX of the DPR RI to RSUD Komodo and the West Manggarai Vocational Training Centre (UPTD BLK).
The visit was led by the Chair of Commission IX of the DPR RI, Felly Estelita Runtuwene, and attended by several commission members, West Manggarai Regent Edistasius Endi, Deputy Regent Yulianus Weng, officials from BPJS Kesehatan, the management of RSUD Komodo, and cardiac specialist medical staff.
During the meeting, Member of Commission IX of the DPR RI Kamal stressed the importance of rapid treatment for heart attack patients, given the critical 120-minute window.
In response, West Manggarai Regent Edistasius Endi instructed the management of RSUD Komodo to resume Cath Lab emergency services immediately.
The West Manggarai Regency Government is prepared to guarantee funding for emergency patients not yet covered by BPJS Kesehatan, including referral patients from other regencies in NTT.
“If anyone needs emergency care, we will treat them and the regional government will handle the financing,” he said.
BPJS Kesehatan stated that it is ready to expedite the credentialing process for cardio-intervention services once the documents are submitted by RSUD Komodo’s management.
Assistant to the Deputy Director for Health Facility Cooperation at BPJS Kesehatan, Dr Nur Indah Yuliaty, said the administrative process would be handled more flexibly so that the Cath Lab service cooperation would not have to wait for the regular cycle.
The Chair of Commission IX of the DPR RI, Felly Estelita Runtuwene, asked BPJS Kesehatan to strengthen its support for hospitals, particularly in navigating changes to service regulations and administration.
She said active communication between BPJS Kesehatan and hospitals is important to prevent administrative obstacles that could hinder patient care.
Commission IX of the DPR RI also expressed appreciation for the cardiac specialists and all staff of RSUD Komodo who continue to provide services in a frontier, outermost and underdeveloped (3T) region that is also home to Labuan Bajo, a super-priority tourism destination.
The working visit resulted in several strategic agreements, including ensuring that heart attack patients requiring emergency procedures through the Cath Lab facility are treated promptly without being obstructed by bureaucratic issues or financing claim administration.