Inflatable field hospitals bolster care after Flores earthquake

Ruteng — — Indonesia’s Health Ministry has set up two inflatable field hospitals in Ruteng, Manggarai, and Aeramo, Nagekeo, to keep essential medical services running after the 15 August 2026 earthquake damaged hospital buildings in Flores, according to official statements published on 18 and 26 August.

The ministry said cracked and damaged structures at existing hospitals posed safety risks for patients and health workers, especially during continuing aftershocks, so services were moved outside the buildings into field facilities.

The field hospitals are positioned to support RSUD Ruteng and RSUD Aeramo, both described as having suffered significant damage in the earthquake. Health officials said on 18 August that teams were assessing treatment areas and other rooms to protect staff and patients while expanding operations in the temporary facilities.

What the field hospitals are doing

The two field hospitals use inflatable, air-supported tent structures designed to provide safe spaces for emergency and surgical care, particularly for patients with serious injuries who require operations. The Health Ministry said response teams include orthopaedic and general surgeons, anaesthetists, general practitioners and nurses trained in emergency, anaesthesia and operating-room services.

According to the ministry’s 26 August update, the Aeramo field hospital had performed surgery on eight patients by Tuesday, 25 August. A specialist team working with RSUD Dr Soetomo reported treating 18 patients in the week leading up to that date, with four receiving non-surgical care and 14 undergoing operations, including one complex procedure involving fractures of the collarbone, forearm and ankle.

The ministry noted that the inflatable operating tent allowed surgery to continue safely when an aftershock was felt during that complex operation, highlighting the design’s role in reducing risk from ongoing seismic activity.

In the same update, health authorities said 392 health workers had been deployed across affected areas, including central medical volunteers and additional intensive-care volunteers assigned for 14-day rotations.

Ministry releases indicate that emergency, orthopaedic, surgical and anaesthesia capacity are being prioritised at the field hospitals, but they do not state that all departments and services from RSUD Ruteng and RSUD Aeramo have fully moved into the tents.

How patients are being supported and referred

The Health Ministry said medical supplies, equipment and a patient-referral system remain in place to support people injured in the earthquake, although its public statements do not spell out a detailed pathway for referrals between specific facilities.

Emergency coordination is being handled through the Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC). Teams from Kupang, RS Wahidin in Makassar, RS Leimena in Ambon and RS Ben Mboi in Kupang are supporting the main emergency medical team, while RS Kariadi in Semarang is providing backup capacity, according to the ministry.

Medical staff linked to RSUD Ende have also been placed on standby to reinforce services at Aeramo if patient numbers rise, indicating that additional referral and surge capacity is being organised across hospitals in the region.

The ministry reported that health workers are monitoring conditions in evacuation sites. Acute respiratory infections were the most frequently reported illness, with 9,668 cases, while 35 animal-bite cases in Nagekeo were treated with complete rabies vaccination.

Residents in evacuation centres have been advised to maintain hygiene and seek help at the nearest health post if symptoms develop. For general health information, the ministry’s release lists the Halo Kemenkes call centre and an official email contact.

Context and timeline

The earthquake struck Flores on 15 August 2026, with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reporting a mainshock of magnitude 7.7 at a depth of around 15 km offshore near Nagekeo. The event triggered a tsunami warning and has been followed by thousands of aftershocks in the weeks since.

On 18 August, the Health Ministry announced that it was constructing field hospitals at RSUD Ruteng and RSUD Aeramo to strengthen post-earthquake medical services and support recovery of damaged health facilities. Officials described both hospitals as key referral centres that could not operate optimally because of structural damage.

In its 26 August update, the ministry reported that, across seven affected districts, there were 105 deaths, 385 people with serious injuries and 1,287 with minor injuries, alongside more than 185,000 residents in 444 evacuation sites and an estimated 1.91 million people affected.

The seven districts listed as affected in ministry releases are Nagekeo, Manggarai, East Manggarai, West Manggarai, Sikka, Ende and Ngada.

Sources

• Ministry of Health of Indonesia – "Aman dari Gempa Susulan, Kemenkes Dirikan RS Lapangan Berbasis Tenda Udara untuk Korban NTT"
• BMKG – "Gempa Bumi M7,0 – 38 km TimurLaut MBAY-NAGEKEO-NTT" (parameter update M7,7)
• IDN Times – "Menkes Budi Cek Dua RS Lapangan untuk Korban Gempa NTT"
• CNBC Indonesia – "RS Rusak Imbas Gempa NTT, Layanan Pasien Dipindah ke RS Lapangan"