Ministry Sends 160 Reserve Health Workers to NTT, Focusing on Earthquake Survivors

RRI.CO.ID, East Nusa Tenggara - Indonesia's Ministry of Health has once again mobilized aid for earthquake victims in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province, deploying 160 Reserve Health Workers (locally known as TCK) in Batch 2 from Terminal 2 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Monday, 7 September 2026. Unlike the previous deployment, this group has been specifically directed to strengthen psychosocial and mental health services for the disaster-affected population.

The Acting Head of Ministry of Health's Crisis Center, Sumarjaya, explained that the health workers will be distributed across four regencies on Flores Island: Ngada, Manggarai, West Manggarai, and East Manggarai. He emphasized that this deployment takes a different approach, focusing on restoring residents' psychological wellbeing rather than solely addressing physical injuries.

The Batch 2 Health Workers deployment follows on from the ministry's first phase of support, during which the Ministry of Health had already sent 206 health workers to assist with medical services in the disaster zone. With this additional personnel, the total number of reserve health workers deployed by the ministry to NTT continues to grow in line with needs on the ground.

At their assigned locations, the health workers will be stationed at community health centers (puskesmas) as well as field hospitals, including two field hospitals operating in Ruteng and Ngada. Beyond treating physical injuries such as fractures and wounds caused by the earthquake, they will also provide psychosocial support specifically for children and residents experiencing post-disaster trauma.

TCK general practitioner, Dr. Shaldy Syifa Azzahri, said that before departing, he prepared the medical equipment and supplies needed to help restore residents' health, while also ensuring his own physical and mental readiness. He noted that post-earthquake care is no longer just about repairing victims' physical condition, but also about helping restore their psychological wellbeing.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rayhendra Hanif, a Health Workers general practitioner from Padang, said he felt compelled to join the mission because he had personally experienced a major earthquake in Padang in 2009 while still in elementary school. That traumatic experience left him feeling an emotional connection to the people of NTT, who are now facing a similar situation.

The TCK deployment follows World Health Organization (WHO) standards, with each rotation lasting 14 days before personnel are replaced, in line with the emergency response period set by the NTT Provincial Government running until 12 September 2026, which may be extended as needed. In addition to psychosocial services, the Ministry has also deployed a surveillance team to monitor potential infectious diseases in order to prevent major disease outbreaks (KLB) and outbreaks in the affected areas.