Universities urged to engage in post-disaster recovery

The Sumatra Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) Task Force is encouraging university involvement in post-disaster recovery by strengthening health services for flood survivors in Aceh Tamiang. Head of the Aceh Regional Command Post for the task force, Safrizal Zakaria Ali, stated in Jakarta on Tuesday that ensuring public safety, particularly in the health sector, is a top priority in post-disaster handling. As a follow-up, Safrizal initiated university participation in recovery through Syiah Kuala University’s (USK) Faculty of Medicine, which held a health service strengthening activity at temporary shelters for Aceh Tamiang flood survivors on Monday (15/6). “In an emergency, it is not the community who should come forward, but the doctors. This is part of the university’s service to society,” said Safrizal, who also serves as Chair of the Syiah Kuala University Board of Trustees. USK deployed a team of specialist doctors, including paediatric cardiologists, obstetricians and gynaecologists, and psychologists, to assist with post-disaster health recovery and trauma healing. He also requested the USK team to report various field findings as input for the government in strengthening recovery efforts. “The team that has gone into the community, please record what can be given to me, whether as Chair of the Board of Trustees or as Head of the Disaster Task Force Command Post. Advise us on what we can do,” he said. Safrizal emphasised that knowledge finds its meaning when it can benefit society. “Knowledge is not merely knowledge; it finds its meaning when it can provide benefit to humanity,” he stated. Data from the Ministry of Health and the PRR Task Force Command Post as of 8 June 2026 shows that all regional public hospitals and community health centres in the three affected provinces that had temporarily ceased operations have returned to normal operation. Of the total 2,952 auxiliary community health centres, 99.76 percent have recovered, leaving six units still using replacement buildings. Beyond focusing on health services, Safrizal’s working visit to Aceh Tamiang also reviewed the fulfilment of basic community needs, particularly the provision of clean water. He directly inspected a borehole well built by the PRR Task Force in Gampong Johar, which has now become the main water source for local residents. The working visit concluded with an inspection of the Mon Krueng Baro regional water company facility, which suffered damage to its intake machinery and thousands of metres of customer piping due to the disaster. To address these constraints, Safrizal announced the task force will soon distribute 25 tonnes of food-grade polyaluminium chloride to support mass water purification.