By Otniel Tamindael
Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - The United States Navy floating hospital USNS Mercy T-AH-19 is to support the "Surya Baksara Jaya" health services operation in the Indonesian province of Maluku.
Dubbed Surya Baksara Jaya operation, the health services program will be conducted at seven vilages in Ambon, Maluku, July 29-August 3, 2010.
Sail Banda 2010 local committee chairman Cak Saimima said in Ambon recently the health services operation would be conducted in conjunction with the international marine event in the province.
"A similar program as part of Sail Banda 2010 will also be conducted in Banda Neira, Central Maluku district at the same time," Cak Saimima said.
He said the health services activity on board a floating hospital would be conducted at Mamala, Morella, Liang, Waai, Tulehu, Passo, and Hutumuri villages on the island of Ambon.
"The Surya Baksara Jaya health services operation will be supported by the biggest floating hospital of the United States Navy, the USNS MERCY T-AH-19," Saimima said.
Named after the virtue of compassion, the third USNS Mercy T-AH-19 is the leading hospital ship in her class in the United States Navy.
The Mercy was originally built in 1976 as an oil tanker by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California, but in July 1984 she was renamed and converted into a hospital ship by the same company.
She has a raised forecastle, a transom stem, a bulbous bow, an extended deck house with a forward bridge, and a helicopter-landing deck with a flight control facility.
The primary mission of USNS Mercy is to provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical and surgical services to support Marine Corps Air/Ground Task Forces, Army and Air Force units deployed ashore, and naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat.
Secondarily, Mercy provides mobile surgical hospital services for use by appropriate US government agencies in disaster or humanitarian relief or limited humanitarian care incident to these missions or peacetime military operations.
Saimima expressed hope the USNS Mercy would arrive on time in Ambon to support the Sailing Medical Service (SMS) program to help the people in the districts of Buru Selatan, West Southeast Maluku (MTB), and Southwest Maluku (MBD) from April to August 2010.
"A health simulation program will be conducted in Ambon, Banda Neira, and MBD district town of Wonreli in Kisar island from July 1 to August 10," Saimima said.
He said that besides the US Navy`s floating hospital, naval ships from Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia would also be sent to Maluku to support the Surya Baksara Jaya operation in the districts of West Seram, West Southeast Maluku, and Southwest Maluku.
The floating hospital`s operations will be coordinated by the health ministry with the assistance of the Maluku health office and so will be the target areas of the Surya Baksara Jaya operation program.
"We welcome the support from the US, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore in the operation because indirectly they also promote Maluku`s tourism potential and the Sail Banda event," Saimima said.
Meanwhile, Maluku provincial health office spokesman Dr F Basalamah said the so-called province of one-thousand islands at present is in need of a floating hospital to provide people in remote areas with adequate health services.
He said the floating hospital was needed to give health services to the people of remote islands in the province because they had limited medical facilities and personnel.
"Last year the provincial health office tried out the floating hospital system by hiring a ship with Rp100 million and renovated its rooms into laboratory, dispensary, and operation rooms, and the effort was successful enough but needed a big amount of funds," Basalamah said.
But he said the rent of a ship to be turned into a floating hospital was so high that the local health office had asked the Health Ministry to provide Maluku province with a ship that could be turned into a floating hospital to serve the people in remote and isolated areas.
According to Basalamah, the floating hospital would be equipped with adequate medical staff , including physicians, surgeons, orthopedists, pediatricians, obstetricians, laboratory, and such facilities as an operation room, and dispensary.
The ship, hired by Maluku health office last year was turned into a floating hospital to give health services to the people in remote villages in Southwest Maluku (MBD) district bordering Timor Leste.
"In reality, people in remote areas highly appreciated the presence of such a floating hospital, and expressed their gratitude for it because it was after 45 years that they got such health services," Basalamah said.
The Maluku health office in the 1970s operated MV Palwanirmala as a floating hospital to serve people in isolated areas in the province but it did not last long.
"Therefore, if the Health Ministry provides Maluku province with a special ship to serve as a floating hospital, the operation cost will be borne by Maluku provincial administration through the regional budget (APBD) in accordance with Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu`s instruction," he said. (*)
Source: http://www.antaranews.com
Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - The United States Navy floating hospital USNS Mercy T-AH-19 is to support the "Surya Baksara Jaya" health services operation in the Indonesian province of Maluku.
Dubbed Surya Baksara Jaya operation, the health services program will be conducted at seven vilages in Ambon, Maluku, July 29-August 3, 2010.
Sail Banda 2010 local committee chairman Cak Saimima said in Ambon recently the health services operation would be conducted in conjunction with the international marine event in the province.
"A similar program as part of Sail Banda 2010 will also be conducted in Banda Neira, Central Maluku district at the same time," Cak Saimima said.
He said the health services activity on board a floating hospital would be conducted at Mamala, Morella, Liang, Waai, Tulehu, Passo, and Hutumuri villages on the island of Ambon.
"The Surya Baksara Jaya health services operation will be supported by the biggest floating hospital of the United States Navy, the USNS MERCY T-AH-19," Saimima said.
Named after the virtue of compassion, the third USNS Mercy T-AH-19 is the leading hospital ship in her class in the United States Navy.
The Mercy was originally built in 1976 as an oil tanker by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California, but in July 1984 she was renamed and converted into a hospital ship by the same company.
She has a raised forecastle, a transom stem, a bulbous bow, an extended deck house with a forward bridge, and a helicopter-landing deck with a flight control facility.
The primary mission of USNS Mercy is to provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical and surgical services to support Marine Corps Air/Ground Task Forces, Army and Air Force units deployed ashore, and naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat.
Secondarily, Mercy provides mobile surgical hospital services for use by appropriate US government agencies in disaster or humanitarian relief or limited humanitarian care incident to these missions or peacetime military operations.
Saimima expressed hope the USNS Mercy would arrive on time in Ambon to support the Sailing Medical Service (SMS) program to help the people in the districts of Buru Selatan, West Southeast Maluku (MTB), and Southwest Maluku (MBD) from April to August 2010.
"A health simulation program will be conducted in Ambon, Banda Neira, and MBD district town of Wonreli in Kisar island from July 1 to August 10," Saimima said.
He said that besides the US Navy`s floating hospital, naval ships from Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia would also be sent to Maluku to support the Surya Baksara Jaya operation in the districts of West Seram, West Southeast Maluku, and Southwest Maluku.
The floating hospital`s operations will be coordinated by the health ministry with the assistance of the Maluku health office and so will be the target areas of the Surya Baksara Jaya operation program.
"We welcome the support from the US, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore in the operation because indirectly they also promote Maluku`s tourism potential and the Sail Banda event," Saimima said.
Meanwhile, Maluku provincial health office spokesman Dr F Basalamah said the so-called province of one-thousand islands at present is in need of a floating hospital to provide people in remote areas with adequate health services.
He said the floating hospital was needed to give health services to the people of remote islands in the province because they had limited medical facilities and personnel.
"Last year the provincial health office tried out the floating hospital system by hiring a ship with Rp100 million and renovated its rooms into laboratory, dispensary, and operation rooms, and the effort was successful enough but needed a big amount of funds," Basalamah said.
But he said the rent of a ship to be turned into a floating hospital was so high that the local health office had asked the Health Ministry to provide Maluku province with a ship that could be turned into a floating hospital to serve the people in remote and isolated areas.
According to Basalamah, the floating hospital would be equipped with adequate medical staff , including physicians, surgeons, orthopedists, pediatricians, obstetricians, laboratory, and such facilities as an operation room, and dispensary.
The ship, hired by Maluku health office last year was turned into a floating hospital to give health services to the people in remote villages in Southwest Maluku (MBD) district bordering Timor Leste.
"In reality, people in remote areas highly appreciated the presence of such a floating hospital, and expressed their gratitude for it because it was after 45 years that they got such health services," Basalamah said.
The Maluku health office in the 1970s operated MV Palwanirmala as a floating hospital to serve people in isolated areas in the province but it did not last long.
"Therefore, if the Health Ministry provides Maluku province with a special ship to serve as a floating hospital, the operation cost will be borne by Maluku provincial administration through the regional budget (APBD) in accordance with Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu`s instruction," he said. (*)
Source: http://www.antaranews.com
