USU PR — The Faculty of Medicine of Universitas Sumatera Utara (FK USU) continues to demonstrate its commitment to addressing the impacts of flood disasters in North Sumatra and Aceh through sustained medical services. As of December 16, 2025, the FK USU Medical Team has conducted 99 direct deployments to disaster sites to provide health services for affected communities, through health posts, mobile services, and assistance in evacuation shelters.

During this period, FK USU mobilized hundreds of cross-professional medical volunteers who were involved in a rotating and coordinated manner. Recorded volunteers consisted of 154 specialist doctors, 190 general practitioners, 61 nurses, 15 medical clerks, 11 supporting staff, 6 pharmacists, and 58 psychologists. This multidisciplinary involvement enabled the delivery of comprehensive health services, ranging from the management of acute cases and chronic diseases to mental health and psychosocial support.

From an academic and professional perspective, the specialist doctors involved came from various disaster-priority fields. Pediatric specialists were the largest group, with 59 individuals, followed by Internal Medicine (23), Anatomical Pathology (17), Obstetrics and Gynecology (10), and Cardiology and Vascular Medicine (8). In addition, specialists from ophthalmology, surgery, neurosurgery, forensic medicine, occupational and environmental health, anesthesiology and intensive therapy, psychiatry, orthopaedics and traumatology, dermatology, and radiology were also involved. This composition was adjusted to the evolving medical needs in the field in line with post-disaster conditions.

FK USU’s medical services reached various affected areas with high levels of damage and limited access, including evacuation shelters, severely impacted villages, and health facilities that had temporarily ceased operations. Services provided included general and specialist medical examinations, maternal and child health services, treatment of post-flood infectious diseases, skin diseases, respiratory disorders, chronic illnesses with disrupted treatment, as well as mental health and psychosocial services. In several cases, the team also referred patients to local referral hospitals for further treatment.

dr. Inke Nadia D. Lubis, PGDip PID, FAAET, M.Ked(Ped), Sp.A, PhD, stated that service continuity is the key element in disaster response.
“Medical services in disaster situations cannot be provided through a single visit and then considered complete. To date, the FK USU Medical Team has deployed to the field 99 times, because community health needs continue to change. The involvement of hundreds of multidisciplinary volunteers enables us to deliver more comprehensive services, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and survivors with chronic diseases or psychological trauma,” she said.

She added that synergy between FK USU, professional organizations, local governments, and support from various parties is a crucial factor in maintaining the continuity of medical services in affected areas.
“We will continue to conduct evaluations and adjust services so that the health response provided remains well-targeted, effective, and truly responsive to community needs in the field,” she added.

Through this achievement, FK USU affirms the role of the university as an institution that is not only present during the emergency response phase, but also consistently accompanies communities through the recovery stage. Medical and psychosocial services will continue as part of USU’s commitment to safeguarding the health, dignity, and hope of disaster-affected communities.