RSUD Komodo Normalises Outpatient Services After 7.7 NTT Quake

Labuan Bajo — Outpatient clinics at Komodo Regional General Hospital (RSUD Komodo) in Labuan Bajo have resumed normal operations following the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara on 15 August 2026, while some emergency measures and temporary layouts remain in place.

Local radio reports in Indonesian describe the hospital returning to normal activity for outpatient services after earlier disruptions caused by structural damage and the evacuation of patients to an emergency tent in the hospital grounds. The quake, centred near Mbay in Nagekeo Regency, prompted precautionary moves to treat patients outdoors under canvas while the building was assessed.

Outpatient services restored

According to a national broadcaster’s report on RSUD Komodo dated 31 August, all outpatient departments had resumed service at the hospital, with regular consultations back on schedule. Registration and some administrative functions were relocated from their usual areas to spaces near the emergency and maternal services unit to ease patient flow and accommodate temporary clinical use of former waiting rooms.

The same report said hospital activity was being concentrated on the lower floors, with patients and visitors directed to use stairways rather than lifts as a precaution against further tremors and possible power interruptions. Parts of the building that had previously functioned as registration and waiting areas were being used for intensive care and inpatient treatment, reflecting a gradual reorganisation rather than a full return to pre-quake layouts.

Inpatient care and emergency tent

Following the 15 August earthquake, patients at RSUD Komodo were moved into a medical tent erected in the hospital grounds to ensure continuity of care while staff evaluated the safety of the structure. Photo reports from national media outlets show patients lying on beds inside the tent and receiving treatment outdoors in the days after the quake.

By the end of August, the emergency tent was no longer being used to house inpatients and instead served as a resting area for patient families, according to accounts in local media. Inpatients were being accommodated on the first floor of the hospital rather than in the third- and fourth-floor wards that had been used before the quake. Hospital managers indicated they aimed to move inpatients back to upper-floor rooms within several days, but available reporting does not confirm when that transfer occurred.

The hospital’s building was assessed for structural safety by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, and management stated that it had been declared fit for use, while still taking into account concerns among staff and patients about the possibility of further earthquakes.

Regional recovery and health services

In a national briefing on 7 September, National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) head Suharyanto said that basic services and infrastructure across earthquake-affected areas of East Nusa Tenggara were generally functioning again after 24 days of emergency response. He stated that all outpatient clinic services at Komodo Regional General Hospital had resumed normal operations, and that community health centres in the region were providing regular care supported by emergency tents.

BNPB reported that a field hospital remained in operation to meet public health needs, while a Navy hospital ship, KRI dr. Soeharso-990, had been returned to its base as land-based facilities were once again able to handle medical services. In parallel, power and telecommunications networks in Flores were reported to have been largely restored, supporting the wider recovery of health and transport services across the province.

The August earthquake, which the meteorological agency measured at magnitude 7.7 with a depth of around 15 kilometres near Mbay, Nagekeo, was felt strongly in Labuan Bajo and triggered a series of aftershocks that kept authorities cautious about using damaged buildings. For RSUD Komodo, the reopening of outpatient clinics and the gradual reintroduction of inpatient care inside the hospital mark a significant step in stabilising health services for residents and visitors in one of Indonesia’s key tourism gateways.

Sources

• RRI.co.id – "RSUD Komodo Labuan Bajo Kembali Beroperasi Normal Pascagempa" (via tag listing and related national coverage)
• Ntvnews.id – "NTT Perlahan Pulih Pascagempa"
• Merdeka.com – "Terdampak Gempa M 7,7 Pasien Rumah Sakit Dirawat di Tenda"
• CNN Indonesia – "TNI-Polri Evakuasi Pasien Dua Rumah Sakit Labuan Bajo ke Tenda Darurat"
• Liputan6.com – "Pasien Rumah Sakit Dirawat di Tenda Usai Gempa M 7,7"
• Kumparan – "Foto: Antisipasi Gempa Susulan, Pasien Dirawat di Tenda Darurat"
• Metro TV News