Foreign Minister Hands Over Meulaboh General Hospital to Indonesian Authorities

Singapore, 2 July 2010 – Singapore-Indonesia bilateral ties were further cemented when Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr George Yeo handed over the S$12 million Meulaboh General Hospital to the Indonesian health authorities in a ceremony attended by 500 guests in West Aceh today.

The Meulaboh General Hospital is a collaborative effort by the Singapore Red Cross (SRC), Temasek Holdings and the Government of Singapore. As it is the main referral hospital serving a population of more than 200,000 in South and West Aceh, the community hospital remained operational throughout the construction. Rebuilt and refurbished at its original site spanning two hectares, the 146-bed Meulaboh General Hospital will be staffed by 400 healthcare professionals. The enhanced facilities and increased capacity will meet the growing needs of Acehnese for quality healthcare. (Refer to Annex A)

The handover of the Meulaboh General Hospital marks the closure of the Tidal Waves Asia Fund, which SRC and its Tsunami Reconstruction Facilitation Committee (TRFC) have managed since January 2005. To date, close to 70 projects on healthcare, education, housing and community, and economic recovery and livelihood have been successfully implemented in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. (Refer to Annex B)

Mr Tee Tua Ba, Chairman of the Singapore Red Cross led the Singapore entourage comprising SRC project teams and the Singapore media, to Meulaboh yesterday. The group also visited other Singapore funded projects. They included the Meulaboh Pier (a G2G project), a kindergarten, orphanages as well as housing, water supply and sanitation facilities. These projects are the joint efforts of the Singapore Government and Singapore-based NGOs/VWOs, namely Habitat for Humanity, Mercy Relief, World Toilet Organisation, WISH and the SRC.

Mr Tee enthused, “It’s been more than five years since the initiation of our first project. I believe we have not only brought the survivors hope and comfort, but also given them the opportunity to improve their lives and livelihoods. Our partnership with other Singapore NGOs and VWOs in these projects makes the Tidal Waves Asia Fund a truly Team Singapore undertaking.”

The tsunami left a trail of destruction with a death toll of 40,000 and widespread damage to infrastructure in Meulaboh. The coastal line was completely destroyed - all roads and bridges, including those connecting Meulaboh to the city of Medan and the city of Banda Aceh, were severely damaged or made impassable. Overnight, Meulaboh became an isolated city.

The Singapore Armed Forces was the first to provide foreign humanitarian aid in Meulaboh. That was swiftly replaced by Singapore NGOs, and plans were made to transition from emergency relief to recovery.

The Singapore Government, Singapore Red Cross and Temasek Holdings contributed to the construction of a pier amongst other projects, which paved the way for aid to pour into Meulaboh and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD). The assessment was that coastal roads would take many more months to be rebuilt, and the sea was the only alternate means of transportation for economy recovery. The pier thus played a strategic role in transporting building materials and supplies for the recovery and reconstruction process.

Singapore NGOs managed repair and renovation works for orphanages, schools and other communal facilities. Though badly damaged, the Meulaboh General Hospital continued to operate under make-shift conditions as it was the referral hospital in the region. The repair and refurbishment of the Meulaboh General Hospital was thus a high priority, undertaken by Singapore.

Meulaboh General Hospital
(Local name: RSUD Cut Nyak Dhien)

Meulaboh General Hospital is the main referral hospital in the coastal town of Meulaboh. The capital of West Aceh Regency, Indonesia was among the hardest hit areas by the 2004 Tsunami.

Rebuilt at a cost of S$12 million (or Rp80 billion) and spanning two hectares, the Meulaboh General Hospital will provide quality healthcare for the Acehnese, with its enhanced facilities and increased capacity:
•    146 beds across six wards (originally 105 beds across 2 wards)
•    two operating theatres
•    staffed by 400 healthcare professionals
•    supported by 26 ambulances and 4 motorcycles

Its structural design can withstand seismic forces to ensure the safety of key buildings in the event of an earthquake. Eighteen blocks were rebuilt and refurbished in three phases over two years and nine months. They include:

•    Administration
•    Medical Records
•    Pharmacy
•    Accident & Emergency (A&E)
•    Radiology
•    Operation Theatres
•    Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
•    General Ward, Class A Ward
•    Paediatrics
•    Obstetrics and Gynaecology
•    Clinical Lab     
•    Blood Bank
•    Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD)
•    Outpatient clinics
•    Material Management
•    Housekeeping
•    Mortuary
•    Kitchen
•    Canteen
•    Surau (prayer room)
•    Sewerage treatment plant

•    Collaborative effort by the Singapore Government, Singapore Red Cross and Temasek Holdings
•    Jointly funded by the People of Singapore (through the Tidal Waves Fund), Singapore Government and Temasek Holdings
•    Designed and Built by Akitek Tenggara, Antara Koh Pte Ltd and PT Waskita Karya
•    Furnished and Equipped by the Local Authorities

Address: RSUD Cut Nyak Dhien Hospital (Meulaboh General Hospital)
Jalan Gajah Mada, Desa Drien Rampak, Kecamatan Johan Pahlawan,
Meulaboh Aceh-Barat (West Aceh), Indonesia

Tidal Waves Asia Fund

The Singapore Red Cross established the Tidal Waves Asia Fund (TWAF) as the designated fund to help provide humanitarian relief and rehabilitation to the survivors of the 2004 Tsunami Disaster.

The government and people of Singapore contributed close to S$89 million (or Rp 572 billion) to the Tidal Waves Asia Fund, of which S$4.23 million was used during the emergency phase, to provide relief assistance and to deploy medical teams to Aceh and Sri Lanka. The remaining funds were managed by the Tsunami Reconstruction Facilitation Committee (TRFC). The TRFC is chaired by the Chairman of the Singapore Red Cross, and is responsible for ensuring that the funds are effectively and efficiently used.  The remaining amount has been allocated for the 69 projects by Singapore-based NGOs and VWOs towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, with a focus on long-term sustainability, in the following areas:
•    Healthcare
•    Education
•    Housing and Community
•    Economic Recovery and Livelihood

Some examples of these projects include the design and construction of the Meulaboh Pier, 1,700 houses in Aceh by Habitat for Humanity Singapore, houses and a community centre in Sri Lanka by Singapore Sinhala Association, schools in Sri Lanka and the Maldives in partnership with the Singaporean Government, and an agriventure centre in Nias Island by Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore.

Visit http://www.redcross.org.sg/approved-projects.phtml for the full list of projects funded by the TWAF.