UNAIR NEWS – The 2022 Public Service Innovation Competition (KIPP) held by the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) was closed with the 2022 Top Commendable Public Service Innovations announcement.
The Adventure Remote Medicine of Airlangga and Alumni (ARMAdA) innovation, which was realized by the Ksatria Airlangga Floating Hospital (RSTKA), has won the Top 45 Commendable Public Service Innovations at KIPP. The award ceremony was held on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at the Bidakara Hotel, South Jakarta.
RSTKA is a healthcare innovation invented by dr. Agus Hariyanto SpB, UNAIR Faculty of Medicine (FK) alumnus. The idea was born from his concern for the constricted access to medical care in coastal and border communities.
Under the theme of Adventure and Remote Medicine, the health service was carried out on phinisi ship which sails across the remote islands in Indonesia.
In providing the services, doctors and health workers sail the oceans to ensure remote communities get proper health services. The ship, which was transformed into a floating hospital, has witnessed thousands of lives saved on the operating table, including the 60th baby, who was born in June 2022.
RSTKA has been an oasis for rural communities in disadvantaged areas, borders, and islands. Since 2017, RSTKA has visited more than 60 remote islands and has handled over 20,000 surgical and basic health cases.
Apart from health treatments, RSTKA also attempts to realize health equity, especially in sanitation and hygiene for the remote community.
UNAIR Rector Prof Nasih stated that the ARMAdA innovation is in line with the purpose of realizing three pillars of higher education (Tri Dharma) more significantly.
“Our dream comes true through the great innovation of RSTKA in handling thousands of patients, including childbirth and complicated cases that require medical treatment in remote areas,” he said.
The Faculty of Economic and Business (FEB) professor further said that such simple innovation, from transforming a phinisi ship to a floating hospital, gave amazing impacts, like helping childbirth case, accelerating vaccination programs, dissemination, and conducting research.
“Today we learned that a simple innovation in Indonesia, like the RSTKA, can offer incredible contributions for the community,” he said. (*)
Author: Stefanny Elly
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
