Antara News, Wednesday, October 27, 2010 20:35 WIB
Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - The naval hospital ship KRI Dr Soeharso has cancelled a journey to Wasior, Papua, and is now preparing to sail to Mentawai to help tsunami victims there.
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Naval hospital ship KRI Dr Soeharso |
"The ship was supposed to leave today for Wasior but last night the commander of the National Defense Forces (TNI) told the navy chief of staff to cancel the plan and ordered it to go to Mentawai instead," Eastern Fleet Command spokesman Lt Col Yayan Sugiana said here on Wednesday.
The hospital ship is scheduled to leave for Mentawai on Thursday morning and would be there for a month.
"The ship was initially scheduled to conduct a humanitarian mission in Wasior (recently hit by flash floods) for a month. So its task in Mentawai will be the same," he said.
The ship would carry logistics such as food, beverages and medical supplies initially allocated for flood victims in Wasior.
The ship will also carry navy personnel and 22 doctors and nurses experienced in varius disciplines.
He said the Esatern Fleet Command is still waiting for further orders from the TNI commander and the navy chief of staff on assigning more ships to Mentawai.
"For the time being we will send one because three naval ships from the Western Fleet command have already been sent there," he said.
Five naval ships from the Eastern fleet command are now still in Wasior including the KRI Kalakay that carried logistical supplies from Manokwari, Papua.
Several ship crews carry aid into KM Labobar ship at Teluk Bayur port in Padang, West Sumatra, on Friday. Bad weather had hampered distribution of aid and volunteers from Jakarta and Padang to tsunami-hit Mentawai Islands. (JP / Antara/Yudhi Mahatma)
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