Sikka health centres still operating in tents after Flores earthquake

Labuan Bajo — Health services at several community health centres in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, are still being delivered in emergency tents weeks after the Flores earthquake, according to local officials and media reports. The number of affected centres remains unclear, with one recent report carrying internal inconsistencies on how many facilities are operating outside their damaged buildings.

A report on FloresPos dated 10 September 2026 quotes Sikka Health Agency head Petrus Herlemus as saying that nine puskesmas have resumed services inside buildings, while 18 others continue to operate in emergency tents after the quake. The report’s headline, however, refers to "nine" puskesmas still serving patients in tents, a figure that conflicts with the detailed breakdown presented in the article body.

According to the same FloresPos report, services inside buildings have resumed at Hewokloang, Habi Bola, Nelle, Bola, Kewapante, Wualadu, Boganatar, Kojagete and Wolomarang puskesmas. Health workers at other centres whose buildings were damaged are providing care in front of, or outside, the facilities across seven districts affected by the earthquake.

Emergency tents still in use

The FloresPos article states that the 18 puskesmas remaining outside their buildings are waiting for recommendations from the Sikka Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (PUPR) and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). Those agencies are assessing whether each damaged building can safely be occupied again. Herlemus is quoted as saying the health agency has asked that the assessment results be delivered as soon as possible, and that alternative sites will be arranged if a building is deemed unusable.

Use of tents for primary health care has been confirmed more broadly in Sikka and other Flores districts since the magnitude 7.7 earthquake. The Ministry of Health reported in mid-August that 190 puskesmas across the affected region had suffered some level of impact, with services at damaged sites temporarily moved outside or into tents while structural safety checks are carried out.

BNPB and national officials have also described the deployment of tent-based facilities in Sikka to keep basic services running. In late August, BNPB reported that tents had been erected at puskesmas and other locations, including eight tent units in Sikka, to serve as temporary health posts while damaged buildings were inspected and repaired.

Discomfort and uncertainty for staff and patients

The FloresPos piece notes that continuing care in emergency tents has created discomfort for patients and health workers, particularly with the rainy season approaching and outdoor conditions becoming more challenging. It does not specify how many patients can be accommodated at each tent-based facility or how many health workers are assigned to them, nor does it give a timetable for moving services back into permanent buildings.

Broader reporting from national outlets has described similar conditions at individual centres. Coverage of Puskesmas Palue in Sikka, for example, has highlighted that staff and patients are still using tents for treatment several weeks after the disaster, despite technical assessments finding only minor structural damage, due in part to ongoing concern over aftershocks and the psychological comfort of working outside.

Unresolved discrepancy in local report

The FloresPos article remains the primary detailed account of how many puskesmas in Sikka are still operating from tents as of 10 September 2026. Its internal inconsistency between a headline mentioning nine centres in tents and body text stating that 18 centres remain outside their buildings has not been clarified by subsequent official releases or reports available at this time.

Other government and agency statements confirm that multiple puskesmas in Sikka and neighbouring districts continue operating from temporary structures, and that PUPR and BNPB technical assessments will determine when individual buildings can be safely reoccupied. However, none independently confirm the precise number of Sikka puskesmas still using emergency tents on the date referenced in the FloresPos report.

Sources

• Ministry of Health, Indonesia
• BNPB via Kumparan
• Metro TV
• FloresPos.net