Health Ministry plans first provincial hospital in Papua Pegunungan

Indonesia's Ministry of Health is initiating a study for the development of the first provincial hospital in Papua Pegunungan, to be situated in Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency. This provincial hospital is intended to bolster referral health services for the residents across the province's eight regencies, the youngest in Indonesia.

Obrin Parulin, Director of Clinical Services at the Ministry of Health, stated that the provincial hospital is a key focus in the government's efforts to ensure equitable distribution of healthcare access, particularly in the underserved mountainous areas of Papua. "The Papua Pegunungan Provincial Hospital is our focus in helping to improve the equitable distribution of health services throughout Indonesia. We are currently conducting studies for the development plan," Obrin said in Wamena on Saturday.

Currently, the Province of Papua Pegunungan does not have its own provincial hospital. All existing hospital facilities are managed at the regency level. "The hospitals that currently exist in the Papua Pegunungan region are owned by the local governments of the eight regencies. Therefore, a provincial hospital is needed to assist in handling diseases that cannot be managed at the regency level," Obrin explained. He noted that while most regency hospitals can handle 70-75% of cases, a significant portion (20-25%) requires more advanced facilities, equipment, and medical personnel.

The planned provincial hospital is expected to serve as a central referral hub for complex cases and critical illnesses, reducing the need for patients to travel to other regions for advanced medical care. This development is projected to strengthen the tiered referral system within Papua Pegunungan, enabling faster treatment for patients from the eight regencies without extensive travel to hospitals in other provinces.