Muhammadiyah EMT treats 2,222 Flores earthquake survivors
Muhammadiyah’s Emergency Medical Team treated 2,222 earthquake survivors at its WHO-standard field hospital in Flores between 17 and 28 August 2026, as local emergency status in Manggarai Barat ended but the wider health response continued.
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· Event date: · 4 min read
Labuan Bajo — Muhammadiyah’s Emergency Medical Team (EMT) treated 2,222 earthquake survivors at its WHO-standard field hospital in East Nusa Tenggara between 17 and 28 August 2026, according to a health services report submitted to Lazismu and published by Muhammadiyah on 31 August.
The field hospital operates under Muhammadiyah’s Indonesia Siaga programme in coordination with the Ministry of Health and is based at Dampek Health Centre in Manggarai Timur, serving displaced people from surrounding areas affected by the Flores earthquake.
According to Muhammadiyah’s report, the EMT’s 30-day mission began on 17 August, meaning its work was continuing beyond the end of Manggarai Barat’s local emergency period, which ran from 15 to 28 August under Regent Decree No. 229/KEP/HK/2026.
Patient profile and leading conditions
The EMT report states that 2,222 patients were treated at the field hospital over the 17–28 August period. Services covered all age groups, including 54 babies, 128 toddlers, 178 children, 78 adolescents, 1,317 adults and 467 older people.
Women accounted for 1,328 of the patients and men for 894. Thirteen pregnant women were among those treated.
Data compiled by Muhammadiyah and Lazismu show respiratory tract infections as the most common diagnosis, affecting 437 patients. Other leading conditions included myalgia or muscle pain in 372 patients, hypertension in 233, dyspepsia involving abdominal discomfort or pain in 186, and cephalgia or head and neck pain in 153.
In an account published by Muhammadiyah, EMT chief Dr Corona Rintawan said the team initially saw more trauma and injury cases in the immediate aftermath of the quake. As the response progressed, infectious diseases became more prominent, which he linked to living conditions in evacuation sites.
He said health education and assistance on sanitation and access to clean water were increasingly important, with the stated aim of reducing transmission of infectious disease and helping displaced people maintain basic health while living in tents.
Key service figures reported by Muhammadiyah and Lazismu include:
- 2,222 patients treated at the EMT field hospital between 17 and 28 August 2026.
- 1,328 female patients and 894 male patients, including 13 pregnant women.
- 437 respiratory tract infection cases, the largest reported diagnostic category.
Emergency phase ends, health response continues
The disaster emergency status in Manggarai Barat was formally set for 14 days from 15 to 28 August 2026 under Regent Decree No. 229/KEP/HK/2026, as reported by Kabar Muhammadiyah.
The end of that local emergency period did not mark the end of the wider health response to the Flores earthquake. The Ministry of Health said it deployed 392 health workers to seven districts across Flores and established two inflatable tent-based field hospitals to ensure that patients with serious injuries could receive surgery and other treatment safely despite aftershocks.
The Muhammadiyah health services report noted data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) presented on 31 August, showing more than 120 deaths, over 1,600 people injured or ill and upwards of 180,000 people displaced across affected areas of Flores.
BNPB figures cited in national media in early September recorded over 140 deaths and more than 1,600 injured about a month after the 15 August earthquake, with tens of thousands of people still living in temporary shelters.
Shift toward longer-term medical needs
During the two weeks covered by the EMT report, the earthquake health response began to shift from emergency trauma care toward infection prevention and routine medical needs.
While local emergency status in Manggarai Barat expired on 28 August, Muhammadiyah’s field hospital and mobile teams were scheduled to continue operating for 30 days from 17 August, working alongside government facilities and other humanitarian organisations.
By early September, additional reports from Muhammadiyah and Lazismu indicated that EMT and related medical services had treated more than 7,000 survivors across Flores, reflecting the ongoing demand for health care, sanitation support and clean water access as communities moved beyond the initial emergency phase.
Sources
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