UNAIR NEWS – The Ksatria Airlangga Hospital Ship (RSKKA) is once again setting sail to deliver medical services across remote island communities in Eastern Indonesia. This mission includes stops on Sailus Island, Sapuka Island (Pangkajene Kepulauan Regency), and Bonerate Island (Selayar Islands Regency) in South Sulawesi. RSKKA departed from Kalimas Port in Surabaya on Tuesday afternoon en route to Bangsal Port in Lombok. From there, 29 volunteers, flying from Juanda Airport on Thursday morning (Nov 27, 2025), will meet the team on Sailus Island, the first destination for the mission.
This effort is part of RSKKA’s commitment to expanding equitable healthcare access across Indonesia’s outermost islands. UNAIR Rector Prof Dr Muhammad Madyan SE MSi MFin expressed deep appreciation and pride for RSKKA’s continued service, noting that its presence reflects UNAIR’s tangible contribution to society.
“Not every university has a medical faculty, much less a hospital ship. We truly appreciate this collaboration with our alumni who continue to work alongside UNAIR, especially in carrying out community services,” he said.
RSKKA’s crucial contribution
Prof Madyan emphasized that RSKKA plays a crucial role in improving access to healthcare in regions that remain underserved. He reiterated UNAIR’s dedication to training more medical specialists to meet Indonesia’s health needs.
“Our nation lacks not only specialist physicians and medical equipment but also equal distribution of healthcare services. RSKKA specifically targets areas with limited medical infrastructure. With its presence, we hope to strengthen health outreach in communities that are difficult to reach,” he added.
RSKKA Director Agus Harianto explained that the mission is driven by compassion and a commitment to supporting island residents who have limited access to care. He noted that RSKKA’s work reflects a broader pursuit of social justice in the health sector. “Whatever medical services urban residents can access should also be available to people in the islands,” he said during a farewell gathering with the rector on Wednesday (Nov 26, 2025) at the RUA Hall, 4th floor, UNAIR Management Building, MERR-C Campus.
Healthcare conditions on Sailus Island
The UNAIR medical school alumnus recounted RSKKA’s previous visit to Sailus Island in 2019, when the team delivered medical assistance to local residents. “We first visited Sailus Island in 2019. From the time Indonesia gained independence until then, the island had never had a single general practitioner stationed there. A primary hospital now exists, but it still only has one doctor,” he explained.
The purpose of RSKKA’s return, he said, is to support the lone doctor and healthcare workers serving in these isolated areas. “Just as Liverpool supporters rally their players, especially during away games, by saying, ‘You’ll never walk alone,’ we want to encourage the medical workers in these remote regions by saying, ‘You’ll never walk alone, you’ll never serve alone,’” Agus Harianto concluded.
For this mission, RSKKA is deploying 32 volunteers. The team includes specialists in general surgery, anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynecology, plastic surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, pediatrics, pulmonology, ophthalmology, and neurology. They are supported by general practitioners, pharmacists, public health specialists, medical laboratory analysts, and traditional medicine practitioners. The mission also receives full support from Dr Soetomo General Hospital in Surabaya, PT Pelindo, PT Pelindo Marine Service, PT Aperindo, the Samudera Peduli Foundation, the Surabaya branch of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), and BPJS Kesehatan.
Author: Yulia Rohmawati
