Ruteng Hospital Health Workers Struggle to Care for Patients Amid Extreme Cold After Earthquake
In the aftermath of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara, health workers at Ruteng Regional General Hospital (RSUD Ruteng) in Manggarai Regency are having to work extra hard under severely limited conditions. Medical services have been forced to relocate to emergency tents amid the extreme cold typical of Ruteng town.
RSUD Ruteng public relations officer Yohana R. D. Mari said the situation has made health workers work harder to ensure patient care continues. “Providing care in tents with Ruteng’s extremely cold temperatures is a challenge in itself for medical staff at RSUD Ruteng,” Yohana said on Thursday (20/8).
The conditions have even caused a number of health workers to fall ill. Several doctors and nurses have had to receive treatment while continuing to carry out their duties. “There are several medical staff, both doctors and nurses, who have ended up becoming patients. They are given IV drips and then continue working because they fear a shortage of staff to care for patients,” she said.
Some health workers are receiving treatment in the emergency department while still helping with services. Other health workers have been asked to rest to recover their condition.
The situation illustrates the heavy burden on health workers during the emergency response period. On one hand, they must maintain their physical condition amid cold weather and limited facilities. On the other hand, patients continue to require uninterrupted care.
To keep services running, RSUD Ruteng has received additional health workers from outside the region. Based on data up to 18 August 2026, medical support has come from Dr. Soetomo General Hospital in Surabaya, WZ Johannes Hospital in Kupang, and several other areas.
The personnel deployed include orthopaedic doctors, anaesthesia doctors and specialists, medical laboratory technology experts, intensive care nurses, and emergency doctors. “Those who came are orthopaedic doctors, anaesthetists, anaesthesia specialists, one medical laboratory technology expert, intensive care nurses and emergency doctors,” Yohana said.
For health workers at RSUD Ruteng, the additional personnel are an important part of keeping services running, while they themselves are still struggling to recover after working in the emergency situation following the earthquake.