Nurhayati, a 42-year-old nurse, said the hospital was nearly paralysed due to a lack of medicine. Workers tried to save ventilators at an intensive care unit for babies, but were unsuccessful as rising water covered them.
A baby died, while six others survived, she said.
“People know me as a nurse. When I couldn’t do something, it felt devastating. I can only give the available medicine,” she said, hoping that the hospital would be reactivated. “This is an extraordinary disaster. Everything is destroyed.”
Ruined bridges made it nearly impossible for medical workers to go around Aceh, said Dr Chik M. Iqbal, who travelled by boat to reach Aceh Tamiang, adding that emergency rooms would only be up and running on Monday.
Some 31 hospitals and 156 smaller health centres across the three provinces were impacted by the floods, the health ministry said on Dec 5.
On Sunday, President Prabowo Subianto visited Aceh, ordering authorities to fix bridges and dams, as well as cancel state-backed microloans for farmers.
Local government officials on Sumatra have called on the national government in Jakarta to declare a national emergency to free up additional funds for rescue-and-relief efforts.
Source: CNA
