BANDA ACEH | INDATANEWS.COM - The Aceh Provincial Government has expressed its support for the transfer of ownership of Cut Meutia Regional General Hospital (RSUD Cut Meutia) from the North Aceh Regency Government to the Lhokseumawe City Government. The move is expected to accelerate improvements in healthcare services for the public while opening opportunities for the hospital to benefit from the central government's health facility revitalization program.
Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, widely known as Mualem, has called for the transfer process to be completed as soon as possible. He believes that an accelerated resolution will have a positive impact on the development of healthcare services in
North Aceh and
Lhokseumawe.
"The sooner this process is completed, the better, so healthcare services can be improved optimally," said Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf (Mualem) on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Aceh Government spokesperson Nurlis Effendi said Governor Mualem had instructed Aceh Regional Secretary M. Nasir Syamaun to immediately arrange a meeting between the
North Aceh Regency Government and the
Lhokseumawe City Government, with the participation of the Ministry of Health.
The meeting was subsequently held on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in the meeting room of the Aceh Regional Secretary at the Aceh Governor's Office in Banda Aceh.
Hospital Transfer Considered Urgently Needed
Aceh Regional Secretary M. Nasir Syamaun explained that the plan to transfer ownership of RSUD Cut Meutia had been under discussion for a considerable period. However, no final solution had yet been reached.
According to Nasir, the issue has become increasingly urgent because it is directly related to the health facility revitalization and modernization program, which is one of the priorities of President Prabowo's administration.
"This matter has become particularly important because it affects President Prabowo's health facility revitalization and modernization program," Sekda Nasir said.
Nasir explained that the revitalization program only supports one regional general hospital facility in each administrative region. However,
North Aceh currently has two RSUD facilities:
RSUD Cut Meutia, which is located within the administrative area of
Lhokseumawe City, and RSUD dr. Muchtar Hasbi in Lhoksukon,
North Aceh.
"Under these circumstances, one or even both hospitals could potentially fail to receive support," Nasir said.
This situation has received particular attention because
Lhokseumawe is currently the only region in Aceh without its own regional general hospital. Therefore, the Head of the Health Policy and Development Agency (BKPK) of the
Indonesian Ministry of Health, Prof. Dr. Asnawi Abdullah, proposed transferring
RSUD Cut Meutia to the
Lhokseumawe City Government.
ACCELERATING RSUD CUT MEUTIA TRANSFER: Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf calls for the transfer process of RSUD Cut Meutia to be accelerated so healthcare services can be further optimized. (PHOTO: Adli Safwan)
Ministry of Health Encourages Equal Distribution of Facilities
Prof. Dr. Asnawi Abdullah stated that transferring RSUD Cut Meutia would provide benefits for both regions, namely Lhokseumawe and North Aceh. Through the transfer, each area would have its own hospital, allowing both facilities to potentially receive development support from the Ministry of Health.
"The Ministry of Health will have greater flexibility in providing support and will no longer face difficulties in developing RSUD facilities in
North Aceh," Asnawi said during the meeting, which he attended via video conference.
He explained that the measure aims to ensure that central government programs to improve healthcare services can reach a wider segment of the population.
"It would be unfortunate, because the main objective is to continue improving public healthcare services. The focus is on ensuring that the extensive support currently provided by the Ministry of Health can reach both
Lhokseumawe and
North Aceh."
Asnawi acknowledged that transferring RSUD Cut Meutia to the Lhokseumawe City Government would require a compensation scheme for the North Aceh Regency Government. As part of the compensation, the Ministry of Health would provide special attention to the development of RSUD dr. Muchtar Hasbi, particularly in improving hospital accreditation.
ENSURING OPTIMAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES:
Lhokseumawe Mayor Dr. Sayuti hopes
RSUD Cut Meutia will soon be transferred to the city government to ensure better healthcare services for residents. (PHOTO: Adli Safwan)
North Aceh Requests Clear Compensation Mechanism
Assistant for Division II of the
North Aceh Regional Secretariat, M. Nasir, stated that his government generally did not object to the compensation model proposed by the Ministry of Health. However, the North
Aceh Government hopes that the revitalization of RSUD dr. Muchtar Hasbi will be carried out first before
RSUD Cut Meutia is officially transferred to the
Lhokseumawe City Government.
"North Aceh would like the Ministry of Health to first carry out the revitalization of RSUD dr. Muchtar Hasbi, followed by the transfer of RSUD Cut Meutia to the Lhokseumawe City Government," he said.
Meanwhile,
Lhokseumawe Mayor Dr. Sayuti welcomed the proposed transfer. He hopes
RSUD Cut Meutia will soon become part of the
Lhokseumawe City Government so that healthcare services for residents can be managed more effectively.
"I want to ensure that healthcare services in Lhokseumawe operate well. If we have our own RSUD, we can better guarantee the quality of healthcare services," Sayuti said.
Sayuti described the transfer of
RSUD Cut Meutia as an important moment for
Lhokseumawe. In his view, it has been a significant challenge that
Lhokseumawe remained the only region in Aceh without its own RSUD, while
North Aceh already had two regional hospitals.
"For us, this situation did not feel fair. But now is the right time to transfer RSUD Cut Meutia, especially as President Prabowo is implementing his healthcare revitalization program," he said.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Aceh Regional Secretary M. Nasir stated that the government still needed to formulate the compensation mechanism expected by the North
Aceh Government.
"Would a guarantee from the Aceh Government, confirmed by the Ministry of Health, be sufficient? If that is possible, we can immediately complete the process," he said.
The
Aceh Government will subsequently discuss the mechanism for providing compensation to
North Aceh so that the transfer process of
RSUD Cut Meutia can be implemented quickly.
(IDNC)REPORTER: Adli Safwan | EDITOR: Fik Sagala