December 22, 2025 | 06:42 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) has dispatched 70 pediatric specialists to various locations affected by flash floods and landslides that hit three provinces in Sumatra in November 2025. Eka Airlangga, Vice Chair of IDAI in North Sumatra, stated that the dozens of pediatric specialists were deployed to work in disaster-stricken areas, including Medan and Langkat in North Sumatra and Aceh Tamiang in Aceh.
Eka explained that this step was taken to provide emergency medical services to children affected by disasters in Sumatra. "A total of 70 pediatric specialists are involved in this humanitarian operation, from Medan to Kuala Simpang," said Eka, who attended virtually to discuss the health situation in the three disaster-affected regions of Sumatra at the IDAI Headquarters in Jakarta on Monday, December 22, 2025.
The Coordinator of Disaster Management at IDAI North Sumatra mentioned that one of the biggest post-disaster findings was cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI). Additionally, the field team also found patients suffering from dermatitis, skin infections, diarrhea, and gastroenteritis.
Not only did the IDAI team handle children, but they also assisted pregnant women and caregivers experiencing hypertension, digestive disorders, arthritis, and psychological problems due to the disaster.
Eka also highlighted the scale of damage and the number of affected victims at the border of North Sumatra and Aceh, particularly in Aceh Tamiang.
"Aceh Tamiang is the most affected area. Healthcare facilities, such as 15 community health centers and one regional public hospital, are almost non-functional, so we decided to focus on strengthening services there," Eka said.
Since late November to December, Eka stated that the IDAI team has served approximately 4,575 children in various affected locations. The services in North Sumatra were conducted in Medan, Langkat, Sibolga, and in isolated areas such as Central Tapanuli, which can only be reached on foot or by helicopter.
Meanwhile, in Aceh Tamiang, healthcare services were provided in Seumadam, Paya Bedi, and the surrounding areas of the Regional Public Hospital, Ranto, and Bukit Tempurung. "The largest services were provided in Aceh Tamiang," Eka said. "As soon as access was opened on December 3, we immediately entered the area on December 4."
Ecological disasters swept through the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra since November 25, 2025. As of Monday, December 22, 2025, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that the disaster had resulted in 1,106 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. Meanwhile, 175 individuals are still missing.
A total of 52 regencies in these three provinces were affected. BNPB reported that the floods and landslides in Sumatra caused damage to 147,236 houses, approximately 1,600 public facilities, 967 educational facilities, 434 places of worship, 290 buildings or offices, 219 healthcare facilities, and 145 bridges.
Read: Disasters Leave Children in Indonesia at Risk of Sleep Disorders and PTSD
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