NTT earthquake victims to receive free medical care funded by BNPB

EAST NUSA TENGGARA (NTT), JAKARTA, INDONESIA, KUALA LUMPUR, 28 AUGUST 2026 —

The Health Ministry will cover all medical costs for patients injured in the Nusa Tenggara Timur earthquake through BPJS Kesehatan, with bills reimbursed by the BNPB’s Dana Siap Pakai.

“People have asked where the money for surgery and medical care comes from,” he told a Jakarta press conference on Friday. “We have an agreement with BPJS that patients can use their coverage and we will pay BPJS through BNPB’s Dana Siap Pakai. I hope the funds are released tomorrow.”

Ministry data show 15,000 people affected by the quake have been assessed in community health centres and shelters. Of those, 187 are in critical condition, 914 are emergency-stable, 13,881 are non-emergency, and 162 have died.

All critical patients and most emergency-stable cases that could not be treated at local clinics were evacuated to seven referral hospitals: RSUD Komodo, RSUD Borong, RSUD Ruteng, RS TC Hillers, RSUD Ende, RSUD Aeramo and RSK Ksatria Airlangga. A total of 391 evacuations were recorded and 19 patients died en route or on arrival.

Common diagnoses include open fractures, head injuries, vertebral trauma and, in two cases, premature rupture of membranes and foetal distress among pregnant women. Over the past two weeks, 20 babies were delivered safely, the ministry said.

Recovery efforts are now in the rehabilitation phase. Teams have repaired primary health facilities, identified referral hospitals and begun compiling budgets for reconstruction, according to Dante. The final costings are still being calculated.

Related: BPJS Kesehatan · Dante Saksono Harbuwono