North Sumatra Govt Prepares Mandrehe Health Center for Inpatient Services in 2026

The North Sumatra Provincial Government is preparing to transform Puskesmas Mandrehe in Nias Barat Regency into an inpatient health center by 2026. This strategic move aims to broaden healthcare access for residents in the region.

Governor of North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution, announced that the upgrade will involve enhancing facilities, introducing inpatient services, increasing bed capacity, and bolstering the number of healthcare professionals. During a visit to Puskesmas Mandrehe, he stated, "We are strengthening facilities, inpatient services, and the availability of health personnel so that the community no longer depends on hospitals that are quite far away."

Nasution explained that Puskesmas Mandrehe is the closest health facility for the people of Mandrehe District. Currently, reaching the regional general hospital (RSUD) requires approximately a two-hour journey. "Therefore, we are building inpatient services here and adding beds to serve more patients," he added.

To ensure adequate medical staffing, the provincial government is developing a specialist doctor rotation system and providing scholarships. This initiative includes collaborations with Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) to offer specialist education scholarships for individuals from the Nias Islands. "Including cooperation with USU and UGM, where their resident doctors are intensively here. So they can rotate," Bobby said.

The Puskesmas Mandrehe head, Karsa, welcomed the plan, noting that 20 to 30 percent of patients are currently referred to RSUD Pratama due to service limitations. "With this capacity increase, more medical procedures can be performed here," Karsa stated.