Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Army is ready to help the Health Ministry establish hospitals in conflict-prone areas, including Papua, head of the army’s information service, Brigadier General Wahyu Yudhayana, has said.He made the statement following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Health on cooperation in hospital construction.“If it has become a policy, and in this collaboration with the Ministry of Health, we are ready to provide any assistance needed,” Yudhayana said on Monday.
He said that his party is ready to deploy engineering troops and other heavy equipment to locations designated by the Ministry of Health. Troops have also been prepared to protect workers from frequent attacks by separatist groups, for instance, in Papua.
Besides troops, the army is prepared to send its doctors and nurses to man the hospitals at the request of the Health Ministry. However, he did not disclose the number of troops and health workers prepared to assist the ministry. He said that troops have been readied in accordance with orders from the Ministry of Defense.
Earlier, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin confirmed that the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) will collaborate with the Ministry of Health to build 14 hospitals in conflict-prone areas, including Papua.
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“This aims to ensure the construction is carried out safely and achieves its objectives,” the minister said on July 22, 2025.
Sjamsoeddin confirmed that construction will begin in 2026. In addition, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin expressed his appreciation for the assistance provided by the TNI through the Ministry of Defense.
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According to the minister, the TNI has been highly supportive of construction programs, deploying a large number of personnel and maintaining high security standards. He said he is confident that the hospital construction will run smoothly with support from the TNI.
