South Kalimantan receives disaster tent donation from UNICEF

Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has granted South Kalimantan 19 disaster tents to be used as field hospital tents during health crisis.

“This tents from UNICEF will be used to provide health service for disaster victims when hospital facilities unable to reach disaster area,” said the Health Logistics Working Team and the Regional Crisis Center of the Ministry of Health Ellen Herliana Pratiwi in Banjarbaru, Thursday.

She said that these tents are really needed in emergency situation or health crisis in time of natural disasters, such as when floods submerge various health facilities like community health centers.

“Before we hand over these tents to South Kalimantan, we firstly provide their human resources training on how to install field hospital tents so there will be no difficulties when used in disaster condition,” she said.

The total 19 tents, when installed, will consist of several parts, such as doctor's room, emergency room, medical equipment storage and other logistics.

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The ministry, she said, before handing them over to South Kalimantan has provided several units of medical equipment to supplement the hospital tents package so it would be used adequately when providing health service in the field.

Head of South Kalimantan Health Office Diauddin said that the tents from UNICEF are very helpful in disaster mitigation. Especially since South Kalimantan is one of areas with natural disasters potential, including forest and land fires and floodings.

Reflecting the experience in 2021, he said, when flood disaster quite large hit South Kalimantan. Many health facilities, such as community health centers in rural areas, were submerged. Health services were not optimally provided for people affected by the disaster.

Now, Diauddin stated that his team had readied human resources to anticipate floods which is expected to occur in the near future after forest and land fires disaster hit the province in the last six months.

He said, based on experience, the groups most affected by disasters and need maximum assistance are mothers, especialy pregnant women, and children.

“Insya Allah (God Wiling) our human resources are sufficient to anticipate disasters that possibly occur,” said Diauddin.

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