Indonesia launches country's second purpose-built hospital ship

Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL has launched the country’s second purpose-built hospital ship on order for the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL).

The vessel is on track to be delivered to the Indonesian Navy in October.

The vessel, which will be in service as KRI Dr Wahidin Soedirohusodo (991) once commissioned, was launched on 7 January at PT PAL’s facilities in Surabaya. It was laid down in October 2019.

The vessel has an overall length of 124 m, an overall beam of 22 m, and a hull draught of 5 m. It will have a maximum speed of 18 kt and an economical cruising speed of 14 kt, according to specifications provided by PT PAL.

Like the TNI-AL’s first purpose-built hospital ship, KRI Dr Soeharso, Dr Wahidin Soedirohusodo has been built according to PT PAL’s landing platform dock (LPD)-like multirole vessel design, which iinherits its main features from South Korea’s Dae Sun Shipbuilders.

The new hospital ship displaces 7,200 tonnes at full load and can accommodate a crew of up to 120, including 16 aviation-specific personnel. During medical and humanitarian relief missions it can also embark an additional 89 hospital staff, 163 bedridden patients, and 280 seated evacuees.

With its full crew complement, the vessel has an endurance of 30 days and can accommodate up to two helicopters on its flight deck, while deploying two ambulatory boats from davits.

The vessel has been designed to largely accommodate modular medical facilities, although permanent features on the vessel include an accident-and-emergency triage facility, operating theatres, and a high-dependency ward. Facilities that can be stood up as and when required include radiology, dentistry, and maternity clinics.