Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Health Ministry, along with regional governments and local authorities, evacuated 14 Nusantara Sehat doctors, nurses, and health workers in Tambrauw, West Papua, on account of security threat from the Papuan Armed Criminal Group (KKB).”This morning, our colleagues had been brought to Sorong after receiving threat from KKB,” Health Workers’ Director General at the ministry, Arianti Anaya, noted through a statement, Sunday. “We thank the regional governments and local authorities, who had quickly helped in the evacuation,” she stated. The Nusantara Sehat Program is an intervention program from the ministry to develop integrated health solutions encompassing preventive, promotional, and curative aspects through special appointment of team-based health workers with certain numbers and types. This aims to improve health service access and quality in health service facilities in Underdeveloped, Border and Islands (DTKP) regions and Region with Health Problems (DBK). The ministry will continue to instruct and remind regional governments within the DTKP and DBK categories to maintain the security and comfort of health workers under the Nusantara Sehat Program, Anaya stated. This is because they are needed to provide health services to the public, she remarked. On Friday noon, a West Papua National Committee (KNPB) formation meeting was held by KKB in Bamus Bama District of Tambrauw. This activity was discovered and subsequently disbanded by police and military officials. Some 11 out of the 23 participants in the meeting were arrested by authorities while the rest escaped. The incident occurred in the Yembun Public Health Center (Puskesmas) work area in which there were eight Nusantara Sehat participants. It was also not far from Syujak Puskesmas, a location where six Nusantara Sehat workers were assigned. The incident was causal to unfavorable security conditions that ultimately led the Tambrauw Health Office to urge health workers to immediately leave the region. All the health workers managed to arrive safely in Sorong on Saturday morning. The ministry’s team from the Health Workers Empowerment Directorate, Guidance and Supervision Directorate as well as Health Workers Directorate General will immediately head to Sorong to meet with the health workers. On Monday, the ministry plans to meet with local authorities and the Health Office to discuss further efforts and provision of accommodation facilities for health workers while they are in Sorong. Related news: Separatists accused of shooting 3 motorcycle taxi drivers in Papua

Source: Antara News Agency