Commission IX reports severe damage at RSUD Ruteng after Flores quake

Labuan Bajo — — RSUD Ruteng in Manggarai Regency has suffered severe structural damage, with lawmakers and local officials estimating that around three-quarters of the hospital building can no longer be used following the mid-August Flores earthquake, according to Commission IX of the House of Representatives and local media reports on 15 September 2026.

The extent of damage has forced most patients to be treated outside the main hospital structure while field hospitals are set up to maintain essential services. Commission IX’s assessment, delivered during a working visit to disaster-affected health facilities in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), underscores the continuing strain on medical services as aftershocks and mass displacement persist.

During the visit, Commission IX member Ravindra Airlangga said the delegation was working to ensure that medical treatment provided by Ministry of Health teams and the restoration of damaged health facilities could proceed effectively. The commission’s field programme and aid distribution focused on the Ruteng field hospital in Manggarai, where services have been moved to temporary structures.

Damage to hospitals and community health centres

According to data cited by Commission IX from the NTT Provincial Health Office, 166 puskesmas, or community health centres, across the province were affected by the earthquake, with 46 classified as heavily damaged. The same briefing stated that a Ministry of Public Works team had identified 12 hospitals as heavily damaged. These figures point to widespread disruption of primary and secondary care in several districts.

Separate figures from the Ministry of Health show that, in the weeks immediately after the quake, five hospitals on Flores were damaged, with RSUD Ruteng in Manggarai considered non-operational and four others only partly functioning. In mid-August, the ministry reported three hospitals on the island as severely damaged, including RSUD Ruteng and two facilities in Nagekeo.

To sustain services, the Ministry of Health deployed emergency medical teams to multiple district hospitals and established field hospitals in Aeramo, Nagekeo, and at RSUD Ruteng. The Health Crisis Centre reported that damage to health facilities had forced a shift to tent-based care outside buildings.

Commission IX’s priorities and budget push

Ravindra Airlangga said Commission IX supports accelerating repairs to damaged health facilities so that medical services for residents can return to normal. He urged the Ministry of Health to secure sufficient fiscal space in the 2027 state budget to fund recovery of health-support facilities in disaster-affected areas, signalling lawmakers’ intent to keep post-quake reconstruction on the national agenda.

The commission’s visit on 21–22 August 2026 followed a meeting with the Ministry of Health on 27 August regarding recovery plans for health facilities affected by the Flores earthquake. During the visit, members inspected evacuation posts and health facilities and delivered basic supplies while gathering information to support faster restoration measures.

Evacuation, health risks and displacement

Data presented by Commission IX and the Health Ministry show that the earthquake and its aftershocks triggered large-scale displacement across Flores. The Health Ministry’s crisis centre reported that by 26 August, more than 185,000 people were sheltering at 444 evacuation sites in seven affected districts, including Manggarai and Manggarai Timur. A separate update from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) cited 179,037 displaced residents and 105 fatalities as of late August.

Commission IX members reported encountering diarrhoea cases among children at evacuation sites in Manggarai and called on the Health Ministry to ensure that temporary shelters have reliable water supplies, toilets and adequate sanitation. According to the Health Ministry, damage to health facilities has made maintaining routine care more difficult, increasing the importance of field hospitals and mobile services for primary care, emergency treatment and disease prevention.

As repairs and detailed reconstruction schedules are drawn up, both national and provincial authorities face the twin challenge of rebuilding damaged hospitals and community health centres while preventing health risks in crowded evacuation sites.

Sources

• SINDOnews - Komisi IX Dukung Percepatan Perbaikan Faskes Wilayah Terdampak Gempa NTT
• Pantau.com - Komisi IX DPR Dorong Percepatan Perbaikan Fasilitas Kesehatan Terdampak Gempa NTT
• Detik Bali/Nusra - RSUD Ruteng Rusak Parah Akibat Gempa, Rumah Sakit Lapangan Dikebut
• Katolikterkini - Kolaborasi Pulihkan Flores
• Bisnis.com - BNPB Catat 179.037 Warga Mengungsi, dan 81.436 Rumah Terdampak Akibat Gempa Flores
• Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) - Penanganan Cepat Gempa NTT, Kemenkes Kerahkan Tim Medis dan Pulihkan Layanan Kesehatan
• BBC News Indonesia - Gempa NTT: Petugas medis berkejaran waktu selamatkan pasien