VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Health minister Nila Moeloek said hospitals affected by the recent quake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi have become operational again and are ready to serve people who were wounded in the disasters.

"The focus of our health team has been on helping to re-open the hospitals," she said in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Wednesday.

She said the medical staff had started making use of the health facilities in the hospitals.

She admitted service was still hindered, especially for surgeries, as the procedure required electronic medical equipment.

"Our obstacle is the absence of electricity and we have trouble conducting surgery. Good generators are available but they need gasoline to operate which is difficult to get," she said.

Moeloek said the health team still needs gasoline to operate generators and clean water for medical purposes.

She said the health team remained focused on serving health posts, providing medicines, additional nutrition and maintaining a healthy environment.

"We know many bodies have been put in the hospitals. They have to be sprayed to kill germs," she said.

She hoped no emergency situation would develop with regard to the possible emergence of diseases such as diarrhea. "We must be alert," she said.

Earlier, on September 28 afternoon local time, a 7.4-magnitude quake shook Palu, Central Sulawesi, and triggered a tsunami along the coast of Donggala.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) mentioned that so far, the death toll was 1,407, while 2,549 people suffered serious injuries. (ANTARA)

US President Donald Trump contacted Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to express his condolences and offer assistance to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi province.

"Trump appreciated the leadership of the Indonesian government in responding to the crisis," a written statement from the United States Embassy in Jakarta received by ANTARA in Jakarta Wednesday.

The US government is offering assistance and is ready to work with the Indonesian government to identify additional assistance from the US as the best support effort.

Previously, the Indonesian government had refused the US assistance, in the form of army troops and hospital ships, during the emergency response period in Palu and Donggala as it had sufficient resources.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla explained that the Indonesian government prioritized assistance from other countries that could be used for rehabilitation and reconstruction. Meanwhile, the number of Indonesian troops and the amount of logistics for the emergency response period were available.

"Every aid from foreign countries should be directly used. Therefore, we focus more on foreign aid for rehabilitation and reconstruction similar to the time when we handled the earthquake and tsunami in Aceh," Kalla stated.

He explained that assistance from foreign countries to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Aceh in 2004 was used for rehabilitations and reconstruction of houses.

Every foreign aid for people in Palu will also be used for similar purposes. (ANTARA)