R.A Kartini and A Better Healthcare Service

[a picture together with the midwives and TBAs 

at Galesong Selatan Health Center, 

Takalar district, South Sulawesi] 

On my last day in Makassar, dr. Willy took me away to Takalar district, about 1.5 hours driving from the main city of Ujung Pandang. Here the local government has fostered a partnership program between TBAs [Traditional Birth Attendants] or in bahasa we called "Dukun Beranak" or "Sanros" in local languange] and the midwives. By this partnership program, the local government with support from the UN is trying to empower women, especially to those living in rural districts, where women are in weak positions, including when comes to deciding where and how they will give birth. So this program is basically to address the growing need of better healthcare for pregnant women. 

As stated by dr. Willy that in the past most of birth deliveries in this area [and to other part of Indonesia too] were still assisted by the unskilled birth attendants. Complication during pregnancy were not detected because the sanros did not have necessary knowledge because they believed in ancient myths and used mantras as remedies. So whenever complication occurred during birth delivery, very often it was too late to treat and save the woman's life. For example, Papua has the highest mortality rate, I've wrote about this before and you can read it here. 

Most maternal deaths often resulting from infections and hemorrhage, occur at home were delivery are not attended by the professional trained midwives. But most of pregnant women living in village always go to sanros for advice and help during pregnancy. Not only that, Sanros often come to live with the mother a few weeks before and after the child birth. They helped with washing, cleaning the house and cooking the meals for the whole family too. Not only because of these benefit that villager still prefer to used sanros' services instead of midwives, but also because they also accepted bananas, rice or coconuts as payment ! But with the new partnership, today the traditional healers can introduce medical check-ups and midwives will aid the pregnancy. So by this program, today birth delivery in this district attended by both of midwives and the sanros. They worked together on helping the mother, but sanros no longer provide birthing services but more take on the other roles. 

Now almost 100% of birth in Takalar were attended by midwives, and this has bring the impact on reducing the mortality rates and lowering the rate of newborn death. Hope that this program will also help on giving access for a better healthcare service even since born, and at the end for the poverty eradication. 

Ibu Kartini, who has inspired Indonesian women for better education and its gender equity, were died because of complication during birth delivery, so in her memorial today, let save the mother. Let us invest on woman, and let them have a better access on education and healthcare.