Nurlaeli can feel relieved now that the Banda Aceh Mental Hospital wards have been renovated, and are now better than they were before the 2004 tsunami.
The head of a rehabilitation ward at the hospital, Nurlaeli, has been working and serving patients there since 1991.
"In the past, each of us was responsible for up to 40 patients at a time," Nurlaeli said.
Previously the hospital received more patients than its capacity, especially during the time of the Aceh conflicts.
"At that time the number of patients surged drastically because of the huge number of people suffering from trauma from the intense security situations and conflicts," she said.
While the hospital did not meet standards, the management was also forced to accommodate patients arriving from outside Banda Aceh, especially from strife areas such as East Aceh and North Aceh.
"The hospital is the only mental hospital in Aceh. That's why patients were referred to this hospital despite the inadequate condition here," said Nurleali.
The hospital had to admit and treat the growing number of patients, despite having insufficient staff and wards.
"The conditions were unsatisfactory and unfair on patients because there were up to 30 patients being treated in each ward," she said.
However, the situation has gradually changed since the Norwegian Red Cross began providing assistance to redevelop the hospital.
Now, the hospital's wards and facilities are far better than those prior to the tsunami that devastated Aceh five years ago.
For instance, the wards for female and male patients are now fully equipped with rooms, bathrooms, guest rooms and family rooms. The wards are cleaner and cozier. Each room is occupied by four patients and has an attached bathroom.
"This is much better. Before the renovations each ward was occupied by 30 people and was only equipped with one bathroom," Nurlaeli said.
As part of the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction process in Aceh, the Norwegian Red Cross has been working with the Indonesian Red Cross to renovate and develop the Aceh Mental Hospital.
"Norway has taken the initiative to help restore the hospital because most patients treated here are underprivileged and are regarded as vulnerable, and we should help and protect them," Norwegian Minister for Humanity Services and Environmental Protection Erik Solheim said on inaugurating the refurbished hospital on Tuesday.
With the upgrade, Erik said he hoped Aceh administration could handle problems involving underprivileged people in a more humane manner.
The hospital sits on a 16,800 square meter plot of land, and comprises eight buildings - a two-story building for official and administrative purposes, an emergency ward, four in-patient wards, a kitchen and a laundry.
Hospital director Saifuddin Abdulrahman said the average bed occupancy rate before the renovation was 340 patients, despite its ideal maximum capacity of 220.
"The occupancy rate exceeded 100 percent. That was definitely not a suitable situation for patient rehabilitation," Saifuddin said.
With the assistance from the Norwegian government, the hospital had made many improvements, particularly in patient care, he said.
"We have also made various efforts to improve services and the hospital's appearance and to improve human-resource development, especially for nurses," Saifuddin said.
