05 December 2025
Anonymous Writer
The Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FK USU), together with professional organizations including PAPDI North Sumatra, Perdatin (Anesthesiology), and Radiology, with support from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek) as well as the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), carried out a humanitarian mission in Central Tapanuli Regency on Thursday (4 December 2025). Entering the ninth day after the disaster, the mission served as an initial mitigation team tasked with opening access for the establishment of healthcare service posts, while also strengthening cross-sector coordination with the TNI, Pandan General Hospital (RSU Pandan), the Health Office, and the Central Tapanuli Regency Government.
The FK USU medical team was led by dr. M. Aron Pase, Sp.PD, KEMD, Secretary of the Subspecialist (Sp-2) Program in Internal Medicine and the Chair of PAPDI North Sumatra. He was accompanied by dr. Dedy Dwi Putra, Sp.Rad, Head of the Radiology Specialist Study Program, along with TNI health personnel and colleagues from various health professions. The team departed from Medan aboard a Hercules aircraft provided by the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) and, upon arrival in Central Tapanuli, proceeded directly to RSU Pandan to conduct consolidation meetings with the Central Tapanuli Health Office, TNI Army health units, and the management of RSU Pandan.
The coordination results identified priority areas in the red zone, namely Tukka District and Hutanabolon District. Both areas were still experiencing flood inundation, with healthcare services not yet operational and access to clean water and electricity completely cut off. On the ground, the team observed severe damage to residential areas and public facilities, with an estimated 70 percent of the area seriously affected. The most common health complaints among residents included skin diseases, acute respiratory infections (ARI), foot trauma, diarrhea, and dyspepsia, conditions that were further exacerbated by the lack of clean water and electricity.
The Chair of PAPDI North Sumatra and Secretary of the Subspecialist (Sp-2) Program in Internal Medicine, dr. M. Aron Pase, Sp.PD, KEMD, emphasized that this mitigation mission is a strategic step to ensure that severely affected areas promptly receive adequate healthcare services. “Red-zone areas such as Tukka and Hutanabolon require a rapid response because all access to healthcare services, electricity, and clean water has come to a halt. We have deployed this mitigation team to pave the way for the establishment of health posts so that structured services can begin immediately. Collaboration between FK USU, professional organizations, Kemendiktisaintek, the TNI, and local governments is crucial to ensure that medical assistance is well-targeted and sustainable,” he stated.
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