Sutan Nasomal Urges President to Complete Stalled Limbangan Regional Hospital
GARUT, WEST JAVA – International legal expert and national economist Prof. Dr. KH. Sutan Nasomal, S.H., M.H., has urged Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to immediately instruct the Governor of West Java to complete the construction of the Limbangan Regional Public Hospital (RSUD Limbangan) in Garut Regency, a project that has remained unfinished for six years despite consuming nearly Rp44 billion in public funds.
Prof. Sutan Nasomal made the statement during a telephone interview while responding to questions from several chief editors at the Central Headquarters of the Merdeka Opposition Party in Cijantung, Jakarta.
According to him, residents of Limbangan and the greater North Garut region have waited far too long for the hospital to become operational. However, despite the substantial budget already spent, the facility has yet to provide any benefit to the public.
“For the past six years, the people of Limbangan and its surrounding areas have continued to wonder why this project remains unfinished. Nearly Rp44 billion has already been allocated and spent, yet the hospital has not been completed and cannot serve the community. We also see members of the Regional House of Representatives representing North Garut’s 11 districts and 116 villages appearing to ignore this negligence,” Prof. Sutan Nasomal said.
He emphasized that the issue is no longer merely a technical construction delay but has become a matter of legal certainty, government accountability, and responsible management of public funds.
Seeing no significant progress at the regional level, Prof. Sutan Nasomal called on President Prabowo Subianto to intervene directly by instructing the Governor of West Java to ensure the project’s immediate completion.
“The people sincerely hope that President Prabowo Subianto will instruct the Governor of West Java to personally oversee and ensure the completion of RSUD Limbangan. Do not allow the promise of public healthcare services to remain neglected while the people continue to suffer,” he said.
He further argued that initiating a project without sufficient financial certainty and allowing it to become abandoned ultimately leads to greater financial losses for the state, as deteriorating infrastructure will require additional repair costs.
“If a project begins without guaranteed funding and is then left unfinished until the building deteriorates over time, it results in double waste. Public money has been spent, no healthcare facility is available, and the government will eventually have to spend even more on repairs that should never have been necessary. Who should be held accountable for these losses?” he questioned.
Prof. Sutan Nasomal also stressed that the prolonged delay in completing the hospital has affected the public’s constitutional right to healthcare services, as guaranteed under Article 28H of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.
He noted that the North Garut region still lacks adequate healthcare facilities, making the completion of RSUD Limbangan an urgent priority to ensure residents receive proper medical services.
“State officials must not continue hiding behind the same repeated excuses. Open all project documents, audit the use of public funds, identify those responsible for the negligence, and fulfill the promises made to the people. The rule of law is meaningful only when it truly protects the rights of ordinary citizens,” he concluded.
Source: Prof. Dr. KH. Sutan Nasomal, S.H., M.H. – International Legal Expert, Economist, President of the Merdeka Opposition Party (POM), General of Kompii, Chairman of the Indonesian Young Advocates Association (PAMID), Founder and Caretaker of ASS SAQWA PLUS Islamic Boarding School, and Chairman of YPLBH.
Written by: Kamidi, CFLE.
