Russia decides to give hospital to Indonesia
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Russia will donate its mobile hospital in Aceh to Indonesia, the country that suffered the most in the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster, to help relieve the suffering of victims, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail M. Bely said on Friday.
"The Russian government has decided to give the hospital as a gift to Indonesia after the departure of our doctors back to Russia," Ambassador Bely said during a press conference in Jakarta.
The hospital, located in Mata'ie, Aceh, has its own diesel- powered generators, a water purifying system, freezing chambers, 19 off-road motor vehicles, a mobile field laboratory, a mobile X-ray room and even a bakery. The hospital can operate equally well in an equatorial climate and at a temperature of 30 degrees below zero.
The hospital, which is currently operated by 150 doctors and medical staff, is capable of treating up to 400 people every day, said the Ambassador.
"At the moment, the hospital has been treating between 300 and 400 patients a day. It has already vaccinated more than 1,060," Bely said at the press conference, which was also attended by Maj. Vladislav Shafalinav, the deputy commander of the Russian military mission in Aceh.
Asked when the Russian team would leave Aceh, Bely said that this had not been decided yet.
"The situation on the ground is already improving, but we haven't set a date for our departure. We will stay as long as our assistance and help is needed," he said.
The Russian government has sent hundreds of tons of aid, including food, water desalination equipment, tents, folding beds, and medicine, to Medan where it was handed over to the Indonesian authorities for distribution in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces.
Moscow has also donated 20,000 tons of wheat to the Indonesian government.
"We are now discussing with the Indonesian government where would be the right place to deliver it as it is quite doubtful that Banda Aceh has facilities for unloading such a large quantity of wheat," he said.
The wheat, after grinding into flour, will be used to make noodles or bread to feed to Acehnese people, he said.
Russia has pledged $22 million in humanitarian aid to the devastated areas in Aceh and North Sumatra.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also plans to donate $10 million to UN relief organizations to support the global relief during the six months of 2005.
"I swear, neither the former Soviet Union nor Russia has ever participated on such a massive scale in an international relief operation before," the ambassador added.
A group of nine Russian seismologists are in Aceh to collect scientific data on the tsunami. Their research will contribute to the work of the natural disaster early warning system to be established under the auspices of UNESCO, said the ambassador.