Health Ministry seeks Rp1.39 trillion to rebuild quake-hit NTT facilities

Labuan Bajo — — Indonesia’s Health Ministry has asked the central government for about Rp1.39 trillion to repair and rebuild 165 community health centres and 12 regional hospitals damaged by the Flores earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said after a limited meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Monday, 7 September 2026.

Budi said the figure was a provisional estimate calculated with the provincial government following an inventory of damage to health facilities in the affected districts, and that the request had been submitted to the president and relevant ministries for consideration, according to Bisnis.com and Tirto.

The minister noted that the facilities are spread across several districts in East Nusa Tenggara, but publicly available reports have not yet detailed the locations down to each health centre or hospital, nor identified which facilities serve key travel hubs such as West Manggarai and Labuan Bajo.

Damage and immediate health response

According to data cited by the Health Minister and national media from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), around 165 puskesmas, or community health centres, were damaged in the quake, with 34 reported as destroyed or suffering very severe damage. Twelve regional hospitals were also damaged, and two of them — in Nagekeo and Ruteng — were described as destroyed.

Budi said health services continued under emergency conditions despite the structural damage. Tirto and Bisnis.com reported that many puskesmas and hospitals were operating from temporary tents, while field hospitals were established to support care in areas where buildings could not be used.

Media reports citing the minister’s briefing to the president said emergency support from BNPB and the Indonesian Red Cross included tents and other basic infrastructure, and that additional communications and power support was provided through generators and satellite-based equipment so that all 165 puskesmas and 12 hospitals could resume at least temporary operations.

The initial emergency response focused on locating and treating injured residents in affected districts. Bisnis.com and other outlets reporting on the minister’s presentation said hundreds of volunteers and medical workers were deployed to villages, and that hundreds of people with fractures and chest, limb or head injuries were treated in the first week after the quake, with hundreds more referred to hospitals for surgery or further care.

Funding request still under review

The Rp1.39 trillion figure is described by Budi as a preliminary calculation and submitted budget request rather than an approved disbursement. According to Tirto, the Health Ministry sent the estimate to the president, the finance minister, the National Development Planning Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry and the state secretariat as part of its post-disaster recovery plan.

As of the latest reports from Bisnis.com, Bloomberg Technoz and other outlets, the government had not publicly announced formal approval of the full Rp1.39 trillion request, nor a detailed schedule for permanent reconstruction of each damaged facility.

Key figures cited

• 165 puskesmas damaged, with 34 described as destroyed or severely damaged.
• 12 regional hospitals damaged, with 2 reported destroyed in Nagekeo and Ruteng.
• Rp1.39 trillion requested by the Health Ministry for repairs and reconstruction of these facilities.

Wider disaster impact

The earthquake in Flores also damaged tens of thousands of homes across affected districts, according to figures cited by Tirto from BNPB. More than 100,000 houses were reported damaged, although fewer than half had been fully verified when the minister made his presentation. BNPB data are being used to determine the form and amount of housing assistance, with different support levels proposed for lightly and moderately damaged homes.

Officials and local media have described the health response as operating on two tracks: short-term emergency treatment for injured residents using tents and temporary facilities, and a longer-term plan to restore and rebuild damaged health infrastructure once funding decisions are finalised.

Sources

• Bisnis.com
• Tirto.id
• Bloomberg Technoz
• CNBC Indonesia
• SINDOnews