Free Specialist Doctor Services Arrive on Kei Besar Island via Floating Hospital

Langgur Kartininews.com – Residents of Kei Besar Island, Southeast Maluku Regency, Maluku Province, can now access free specialist doctor services without having to travel to healthcare centers in Langgur. The Nusa Waluya II hospital ship, owned by the doctorSHARE Foundation (Yayasan Dokter Peduli), has begun providing medical services in Elat, Kei Besar.

Seven specialist doctors are scheduled to provide services from September 8 to November 1, 2026.

Southeast Maluku Deputy Regent Charlos Viali Rahantoknam said the presence of the Nusa Waluya II hospital ship is highly meaningful for the people of Kei Besar, who have long faced geographic challenges in accessing healthcare, especially specialist services.

"This is certainly a source of joy for the people of Southeast Maluku, particularly the people of Kei Besar Island, thanks to the concern and support of donors from the doctorSHARE Foundation, who have chosen and designated Southeast Maluku, especially Kei Besar Island, as a service location," Charlos said while opening the medical services in Elat on Tuesday (9/8/2026).

He expressed appreciation to the doctorSHARE Foundation, its donors, and all parties supporting the free healthcare program.

"Through this opportunity, we would like to express our deep gratitude and appreciation for all the intentions, support, and attention given by the foundation, its donors, and all parties involved in carrying out this free healthcare service," he said.

According to Charlos, Southeast Maluku's geography as an archipelagic region poses its own challenges to equitable healthcare access.

Southeast Maluku consists of 75 islands, made up of 12 permanently inhabited islands and 63 uninhabited ones. The two largest islands, which serve as centers of community activity, are Kei Kecil and Kei Besar. Administratively, the region has 190 villages (known locally as ohoi) and one urban ward (kelurahan).

The Southeast Maluku Regency Government currently operates two hospitals and 21 community health centers (puskesmas) spread across 11 districts. Eleven of these health centers are located in Kei Besar and the remaining ten in Kei Kecil.

Despite the availability of health facilities, the vast area and archipelagic nature of the region mean that, under certain conditions, services are hampered by sea and land transportation constraints.

"Under certain conditions or at certain times, health services by medical personnel cannot be carried out optimally, whether by sea or by land," Charlos explained.

These challenges are felt even more acutely by residents who need specialist care or referrals for more complex cases. Patients from Kei Besar who need further treatment in Langgur face relatively long travel times and high costs.

"Access for the people of Kei Besar Island to and from Langgur requires significant time and cost. This contributes to disability and mortality rates, especially in handling emergency cases," he said.

For that reason, the Southeast Maluku Regency Government continues to push for stronger facilities and infrastructure, medical equipment, and health workforce resources in order to narrow the service gap between Kei Besar and Kei Kecil.

Charlos said that developing healthcare in Kei Besar also requires collaboration between the government and social organizations, foundations, health workers, the business sector, communities, and the public at large.

"The presence of the Nusa Waluya II hospital ship today is proof of the commitment of various parties, especially the doctorSHARE Foundation, who care about the health of communities in border and remote areas," he said.

He also expressed appreciation to the Ambon Branch Office of BPJS Kesehatan (Indonesia's national health insurance agency) for accommodating claims for ambulance referral costs for health facilities in Kei Besar.

The regional government hopes this kind of support can be strengthened further, including through attention to a special capitation scheme for community health centers in the Kei Besar area.

To ensure the Nusa Waluya II hospital ship's services are used optimally, Charlos asked district and village (ohoi) governments, community health centers, health workers, posyandu (integrated health post) cadres, and community members to help spread information to residents.

District and village-level governments were also asked to help mobilize residents to service locations if needed.

"Make good use of this opportunity for the community. Provide good education about health," he urged.

The Southeast Maluku Regency Government hopes the Nusa Waluya II hospital ship's services won't stop in 2026, but can be carried out regularly in the years to come.

Charlos also reminded residents not to wait until their health condition worsens before getting checked.

"Don't wait until a problem becomes severe. Detect it early, check early, and treat early," he stressed.