I

ndonesia may witness a decrease in deaths caused by strokes after the establishment of the country’s first brain treatment center.

Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said on Tuesday that the 32,000-square-meter hospital building under construction at Jl.MT Haryono, Cawang, East Jakarta, was designed to be the country’s “center of excellence”, not only in dealing with brain problems but also in delivering clinical neuroscience research.

“We have a long list of brain and nerve problems. They must be quickly dealt with, but so far we haven’t had an integrated brain and nerve care center,” said Endang after laying the first stone of the hospital building.

Most hospitals in Indonesia have brain and neurology units, but many people with brain diseases or injuries to the spinal cord or nervous system receive poor treatment due to a lack of equipment and lack of skilled health workers at the units.

Citing various studies, Endang said that the number of people with aging brains and nervous system-related health problems would continue to increase, due to increases in the life expectancy of Indonesians.

“Brain problems in our country continue to increase and are getting more and more complex. Unless we anticipate these problems, we may have to bear the heavier burden of public health costs,” she said.

According to the 2007 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) report, the number of strokes reached 15.4 percent, making strokes the leading cause of deaths and disabilities.

“One out of every seven deaths in Indonesia is caused by a stroke. And in every 1,000 Indonesian people, we have eight who have suffered from either mild or severe strokes,” said Endang.

The Riskesdas report also shows that the number of people with head and backbone injuries amounted to 7.5 percent of the total population. More nerve-related health problems have also emerged, including neural infections in the brain and nervous system such as meningitis and meningo-encephalitis, which are caused by tuberculosis, non-specific bacteria and fungi.

Zamrud Ewita Aldy, director of health medical support at the Health Ministry, said that the hospital would offer a comprehensive brain and nerve healthcare service supported by modern medical equipment.

“This hospital development is a multi-year project and is fully funded by the ministry. We hope that it can start functioning in 2012,” she said.

The 12-floor hospital, built on 1.1 hectares of land, is to have 390 beds, 62.1 percent of which will be for patients from low-income families or third-class facilities, 14.7 percent of which will have second-class facilities, 10.2 percent of which will have first-class facilities, 10.2 percent of which will be VIP rooms, 2.3 percent VVIP rooms and 0.6 percent of which will be allocated for a presidential suite.

Forty-eight beds will be allocated for emergency units.

Supriyanto, the project officer, said that the hospital’s healthcare facilities may be expanded. “We are projecting that we will provide 390 beds,” he said, adding that the hospital could hopefully become a national referral center for brain and nerve problems.

JP/Elly Burhaini Faizal