Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL delivered a third naval hospital ship, KRI Dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningra (992) to the Indonesian Navy. The hospital ship was commissioned on 19 January 2023 at Bandar Barat Pier, Surabaya. The Indonesian Navy currently operates one South Korean-built hospital ship, KRI Dr Soeharso (990), and one interim hospital ship, KRI Semarang. KRI dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat (992) is the second ship of Sudirohusodo-class hospital ship of the Indonesian Navy. The ship was named after an Indonesian national hero Rajiman Wediodiningrat. Dr Radjiman Wedyodiningrat (21 April 1879 – 20 September 1952) was an Indonesian physician and one of the founding figures of the Indonesian Republic.
The construction of the ship started with the first steel cutting ceremony on 10 September 2020. Its keel was laid on 21 January 2021. KRI dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat was named and launched in a ceremony on 15 August 2022. On the 16–19 December, the ship undergo sea acceptance tests in Java Sea. KRI Dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat has passed several acceptance tests after the completion of the construction, including the Harbor Acceptance Test (HAT) and the Sea Acceptance Test (SAT). It culminated in a satisfactory inspection by the ranks of High Officers in the Commodore Inspection activity in December 2022, which demonstrates the Hospital Ship’s readiness to carry out operational duties and functions.
The dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo class has a length of 124 meters and beam of 21.8 meter. The class displacement is 7,290 tonnes. It has a capacity of 643 people, including 159 patients. It has a maximum speed of 18 knots, a cruising speed of 14 knots, and a economical speed of 12 knots. It can sail up to 30 days and 10,000 nautical miles.
This hospital ship can accommodate 12 different types of operations and is supported by two Ambulance Boats, two LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel), and one RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat). The ship has also been designed with ‘plug-and-play’ electrical infrastructure for containerized mission modules, such as mobile power generators and desalination equipment.
This ship is outfitted with qualified health facilities such as an emergency room, inpatient and isolation rooms, radiology room, delivery room and baby room, clinic/poly, laboratory, blood bank, operating room, ICU and HCU, and can carry three helicopters with MTOWs of 11 tonnes each. Besides operating theatres, the ship will have a high-dependency ward, an accident and emergency triage facility, and a polyclinic with radiology, dentistry, and maternity facilities.
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones.
