Sumatra Health Sector Rehabilitation Makes Significant Progress

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Home Affairs Minister and Head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) in post-disaster Sumatra, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, said recovery in the health sector in affected areas had made significant progress. Nearly all regional general hospitals, hundreds of community health centres (Puskesmas) and auxiliary community health centres (Pustu) are now fully operational.

Tito praised the Health Minister’s swift action in mobilising resources to optimise the response.

“Almost 100% of regional hospitals are back in operation, all the Puskesmas are operating, and only six Pustu remain. We want the public to know that the accelerated rehabilitation and reconstruction process, targeted to run for three years from 2026 to 2028, is continuing,” Tito said, according to a written statement on Thursday (15 October 2026).

Tito said the government’s intensive efforts could inspire local administrations to speed up recovery as well. President Prabowo Subianto has given the affected regions particular attention by providing additional budget support on three occasions.

The first round provided Rp4 billion in additional unexpected expenditure (BTT) to each of 52 regencies and municipalities across three provinces, and Rp20 billion to each of the three provinces. The second was an additional presidential financial assistance allocation through fiscal transfers to regions (TKD), amounting to Rp10.64 trillion in February.

The third was Rp1.4 trillion in presidential financial assistance through TKD for the provinces, regencies and municipalities affected by the Sumatra disasters.

With this substantial support from President Prabowo, Tito said he hoped local governments would accelerate recovery. However, data from the Home Affairs Ministry’s Directorate General of Regional Financial Development, dated 12 October 2026, showed that some areas had yet to make optimal use of their additional Transfers to Regions (TKD) allocations, with spending below 50%.

He said the Health Minister’s rapid efforts to drive post-disaster recovery should encourage local governments to improve their performance.

“Some have spent less than 10%, even though it is already mid-October. I hope this prompts regional leaders to act, while we also provide assistance and go into the field to ensure they use the money,” Tito added.

He stressed that recovery was the responsibility of all levels of government, central and local. It was therefore important for local administrations to maximise their efforts so that disaster-affected sectors could return fully to normal.

“Recovery must be carried out together. The central government has a budget, as do ministries and agencies and local governments; we must all work in parallel,” he said.