Island-hopping CT scanners: white glove services for MedTech in Indonesia

In the late 1980s, Peter and Diana finished their medical studies in Jakarta, Indonesia. Rather than settling into the city’s fast-paced lifestyle, the couple packed up their lives and moved to Sulawesi, a starfish-shaped island known for its rich ethnic diversity and unspoiled beaches. With them was their six-month-old son, Christopher. 

It was not a dreamy island life that called them to Sulawesi. Instead, they were driven by a deeper purpose—to deliver aid in remote areas where basic medical services were scarce. A study from 2019 revealed that West Sulawesi had only 12 doctors per 100,000 residents in that year, a stark contrast to Jakarta’s five times higher ratio.* Imagine what Sulawesi was like three decennia prior.  

Nowadays, the scene has changed. Indonesia has been transformed by social, cultural, and economic progress. Also, the healthcare landscape has evolved, and the couple's mission has taken root in their son. Christopher now leads a team of logistics experts specialising in the distribution of MedTech devices to the nation’s most remote corners. 

His work comes at a time when Indonesia is experiencing a ‘hospital boom'. In the course of 2024, the Indonesian Health Ministry has inaugurated one hospital after the other. This stems from the 2023 New Health Act, with which the Indonesian government has pledged to make healthcare more accessible.  

Older hospitals are being refurbished and new ones are popping up.  

In the early hours of a late September morning, a faint glow of dawn casts shadows over the skeletal frame of one such hospital. At its base is a group of people donning safety vests and helmets. This team, part of Christopher's logistics crew, is responsible for executing ‘white glove’ deliveries—carefully transporting high-value, delicate medical equipment to hospitals across the country. 

The foreman briefs the team once again about the day's plan. Each team member has undergone specialised training to handle the movement of sensitive equipment. Their expertise is not just a point of pride; it’s a requirement to boast the HealthChain certification, part of the Kuehne+Nagel network’s global quality standard, which ensures the trust and confidence of their clients. 

There’s a rectangular gap in the outer wall of the building’s second floor. It wasn’t left by accident—it’s part of the plan to deliver and install a CT scanner. 

"We transport the medical devices from Jakarta to the healthcare facility where they have to be delivered or installed," Christopher explains. "Depending on the type of MedTech we’re transporting, we often need to bring in heavy lifting equipment, like cranes and forklifts, to help move the devices into the building." 

Kuehne+Nagel’s HealthChain-certified team oversees these white glove deliveries to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across Indonesia. The challenge intensifies in Tier 3 cities, which are smaller and often more difficult to access. Roads in these areas may be unpaved, and because Indonesia is made up of many islands, the team sometimes has to rely on ferries or planes to ensure the equipment reaches its destination safely and on time.

"The biggest challenge with such multimodal deliveries is managing lead times," Christopher notes. "Schedule reliability can be unpredictable when you're dealing with multiple modes of transport and passing through small ports and airports." 

At the hospital, timing is everything. Each piece of the puzzle has to fall into place precisely when needed—any delays can be costly, not only for the hospital but for the patients waiting for care. 

Despite these challenges, Christopher’s team has mastered the art of coordination. They earned the trust of their clients by starting small, first handling spare parts and consumables from the customer’s warehouse to local distributors and retail channels. Over time, their responsibilities grew. Today, they’ve earned the trust to deliver even the largest and most complex medical devices with the utmost care. 

“I believe earning your customer’s trust comes down to demonstrating expertise—but it’s also about genuinely caring," Christopher reflects. "After successfully managing smaller hospitals, my father had the opportunity to build a hospital in Jakarta from the ground up. He worked closely with contractors, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device providers. From the medical device companies, he expected not just top-tier product quality and reliable service contracts, but also a fixed delivery date so everything could be coordinated seamlessly with all stakeholders. And, of course, the installation had to be flawless, without any damage to the equipment or hospital property." 

"These lessons have shaped what we offer to our MedTech customers today," Christopher adds. "We focus on delivering the highest quality services, ensuring reliable timelines, and providing careful, damage-free installations—so that they, in turn, can deliver the best possible outcomes for their own customers." 

*Source