Facilitating Written and Oral Community Input for Datu Sanggul Hospital Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping

Abstrak

This community service activity facilitated public consultation for the environmental impact assessment of the planned development and operation of Datu Sanggul Regional General Hospital in Tapin Regency, Indonesia. It aimed to identify environmental and social issues expressed through written and oral public input and to examine their relevance to environmental impact assessment scoping. A descriptive qualitative case study was applied to nine written public-input forms, documented oral input, meeting records, consultation materials, and the draft scoping form. The data were coded and thematically compared without treating written and oral records as unique respondents. Written input documented individual concerns and expectations concerning wastewater, runoff, hazardous waste, construction disturbance, local employment, and health services. Oral dialogue added location-specific and technical details concerning downstream settlements, the Batung River, nighttime noise, the retention pond, technical planning documents, and grievance channels. The complementary channels improved the traceability of community concerns into potential-impact evaluation. Combining accessible written forms, facilitated dialogue, and transparent follow-up was therefore important for community service based on environmental expertise and for more substantive public involvement.