| Indonesia is a country with 13,667 islands, and many waters in-between. Currently there are more than 210,000,000 people living in Indonesia, mainly in the 5 big islands, i.e. Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua. There are many local ethnic groups, consisting of Javanese (45%), Sundanese (14%), Madurese (7.5%), Malays (7.5%) and others (26%). Each group has its specific culture, habits, beliefs, and social structure.
Currently the country is in a very grave economic condition, where unemployment and under employment is found everywhere in the country. People living in poor condition is assumed to be more than 25% of the population. The rate of unemployment is 15%, while much more people are underemployed.
Islam is the main religion (around 87% of population) , while followers of other religion are minorities , such as catholics (3%) , protestants (6%), hindus (2%), buddhists (1%), and others (1%). With this kind of diverse geographical, religious , economic and social condition, catholic doctors live and work to deliver his mission as health providers in the community.
The majority of Islam followers in Indonesia are Sunni Islam of the Syafei denomination who are known to be most moderate in their belief and day to day implementation of the teachings of the Koran and Hadits. Their views of health and sickness are not different from common understanding of medical world. Health is perceived as physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being . The prophet Mohammad taught about cleanliness and ways to live healthy. Cleanliness is part of the belief. Sickness is regarded as a situation where man has to find ways to heal it , as Allah will not create disease without showing the remedy for it. When a person is ill, it is Allah who will heal that person through another person, be it doctor or somebody else.. A doctor is a person who is considered as an expert to whom a sick person must come for help. Doctors have the duty from Allah to become persons to dedicate themselves for the health care of the community around them. Understanding these principles of Islam teachings, besides getting acquainted with local customs and local social authorities will help catholic doctors anywhere in Indonesia to work harmoniously with the people they are serving in the health sector.
The history of catholic hospitals in Java went back to the year 1917 when a few catholic laymen supported by nuns from Congregation of Sisters of Saint Carolus Borromeus whose head quarter was in Maastricht, the Netherlands, decided to found Sint Carolus Hospital in Jakarta. Shortly thereafter, in 1921, 6 nuns from the same congregation went to Bandung (about 200 kilometers south west from Jakarta ) to build the Borromeus Hospital . Both hospitals became the biggest Catholic hospitals in the region and became work place for many catholic doctors and allied medical professions to deliver their medical and health services to all social strata of the public. They are well accepted and respected by the community, particularly since a big portion of the hospital wards are made available for the not-so-well-to-do patients. The mission of 'option for the poor' was and is put into action day to day.
In the mean time many hospitals, big and small, and obstetric clinics , as well as primary health care centers were built in other cities in different islands in Indonesia. They are lead by doctors or other health personnels giving health services to the surrounding communities. As not-for-profit health provider institutions they are committed to serve the public who are mostly in a poor financial condition, which makes the mission a tough task to do. Not to mention the difficult geographical condition in some remote areas to allow regular supply of drugs and health amenities to maintain sufficient provision of health necessities to run the clinic. In 1972 a new era of catholic health provider institutions in Indonesia came to a reality when the PERDHAKI (Association of Voluntary Health Services of Indonesia) was officially formed during the 1st Catholic Health Work Shop in Jakarta. Catholic hospitals and clinics and primary health care centers became members. Through this association concerted efforts could be implemented in the desire to serve the public better and to overcome some of the problems of drug supply and development of manpower and organization of health services. The association got the trust from government bodies as their partner in giving health services to the population. Mutual cooperative activities were done with similar associations of Islam , Protestant , Hindu and Buddhist to organize seminars and training programs of health workers and to deliver donations of milk to children . PERDHAKI is also active in the efforts to control tuberculosis, abuse of narcotics, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy and population control through Natural Family Planning. Medical ethics and pastoral care was also promoted through the hospitals. PERDHAKI took an active role of helping refugees after the election in East Timor , by supplying medical doctors , nurses and medicine to the camp of the refugees in West Timor with the financial help of international donor organizations . PERDHAKI was also present to give relief to victims of natural disaster such as flood and volcano eruption.
In all these activities , catholic doctors, nurses and other health workers dedicated their time, attention , energy and other resources to help the affected people without considering their religion or ethnic origin. These virtues were done merely due to the deep concern to and motivated by the good Spirit to help alleviate sufferings of other people.
The INDONESIAN CATHOLIC MEDICAL COMMUNITY (ICMC) which was inaugurated in 2001 took part in assisting victims of the big flood in Jakarta last year by free clinic consultation and distribution of food and clothing. The ICMC organized several seminars and workshops discussing about how catholic health workers could give better service to patients , about spiritual challenges in health service for the doctors , about the role of the eucharist in healing of the sick , about ways for the doctor to defend the unborn babies.
Individually other catholic doctors carry the mission by doing research in medical field to find new answers of diverse medical problems, others delivered their medical expertise and aptitude to heal patients or reduce their sufferings or incapacities. These happened in hospitals or private clinics. |
