Indosat Ooredoo assists underserved communities in remote and isolated areas and victims of natural disasters by addressing their health issues through its mobile clinic program.

When it comes to healthcare services, people living in rural and remote areas are not as fortunate as those living in urban areas, where Puskesmas (community health center), health clinics and air-conditioned hospitals are easily accessible.

In most rural and isolated areas, however, it can take one or more hours to reach the nearest puskesmas due to poor road conditions, topography and a lack of transportation.

Villagers of Papua, for example, have to make an extra effort to get medical services as the region has geographical challenges with low and highland forest areas.

Difficulty in accessing medical services is also experienced by other villagers in other regions as Indonesia is made up of thousands of islands, making access to healthcare services in the country vastly unbalanced. Many isolated areas do not have the standard ratio of puskesmas to people. The standard ratio of puskesmas to people is one puskesmas per 100,000 people.

On top of that, most villagers living in hard-to-access areas are commonly poor and near-poor, leaving them at risk as it is difficult for them to bear the costs of medical treatment and may lead to time off work and a loss of pay to look after ill relatives, paying transportation and medication costs and perhaps even taking out a loan to cover medical expenses.

With inadequate infrastructure coupled with local people’s weak financial capability, it is not surprising that only a few people from remote villagers go to puskesmas. As a consequence, isolated areas lag behind other easy-to access areas when it comes to community health, with the maternal and child mortality rate reportedly remaining high as children in particular are vulnerable to diarrhea, malaria and other infectious diseases.

While health services in isolated areas remain one of the pressing health issues, Indonesia also often experiences volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods and tsunamis given that the country is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with a lot of tectonic activity. This means that in the case of a natural disaster such as flood or volcanic eruption, immediate response is vital to assist victims in addressing any medical issues.

This clearly explains why the mobile clinic program is considered instrumental in assisting not only undeserved communities in isolated areas but also victims of natural disasters in dealing with health issues. Under the mobile clinic concept, medical personnel visit targeted villages where they meet villagers’ medical needs, instead of passively waiting for patients at a puskesmas.

The number of pregnant women with nutrient deficiencies remains high in Indonesia, with many living in remote and isolated villages. “Pregnant women should pay extra attention to their health so that they can give birth naturally and safely to a healthy newborn. They can have maternity checks at our mobile clinics,” said Deva Rachman, group head of corporate communications of Indosat Ooredoo.

Indosat Ooredoo has run the mobile clinic program since 2007 as part of the company’s CSR activities, with health treatment focusing on children and pregnant women in underserved communities. The company also provides assistance in disaster areas.

According to Deva, each mobile clinic is equipped with an ultra sound machine and printer, minor surgery facilities and centralized oxygen, suction pump, inhalator and general medical and health check equipment.

Deva said it was important to the nation’s future that woman gave birth to healthy babies. “Sure, there are puskesmas at the village level, but in isolated areas they are often difficult to reach, making pregnant women reluctant to visit them,” she said.

Healthcare issues can greatly impact productivity as well as exacerbate poverty due to the associated costs, such as treatment and funeral costs as well as loss of income, she said.

And that’s why besides prenatal care for pregnant women and health treatment, the mobile clinics also offers health counseling and education, such as on environmental hygiene, sanitation and nutrition.

“We also provide supplementary nutrition and anti-epidemic measures such as fumigation and natural disaster health support,” Deva said.

Sustainable benefits

To date, the company operates 16 mobile clinics.

Deva acknowledged that Indosat Ooredoo, as an initiator of mobile health services, could not work alone to uphold the company’s commitment to improving community health. And so the company has teamed up with NGOs that have a national presence and networks.

“In this way, a mobile clinic visits a community ahead of time and is able to effectively lay the groundwork for efficient implementation,” she said.

Indosat Ooredoo’s operational partners are Rumah Zakat, Pos Keadilan Peduli Umat (PKPU), Bulan Sabit Merah Indonesia and Dompet Dhuafa Republika, with each having its own target areas.

Recent company data shows that more than 770,000 people have been treated since the inception of the program, of which more than 51.000 beneficiaries were treated in 2015 alone.

In 2015, 55 percent of beneficiaries received curative treatment while 45 percent received preventive treatment. “This holistic approach to total health is more effective than only curative treatment,” Deva said, referring to an evaluation on the scale of impact.

By treating the young, productive population of Indonesia, including expectant mothers, Indosat Ooredoo is undoubtedly making immediate and sustainable benefits for the future of Indonesia.

“In addition, by providing urgent medical treatment to disaster victims, the program helps to address trauma and restore beneficiaries to a productive life,” she said.

One day after flash floods hit Garut regency in West Java on Sept. 20, Indosat Ooredoo, in collaboration with Rumah Zakat, deployed a team and free mobile clinic and set up a free telecommunication post.

 “We care about the victims of the flash flood that has submerged the community’s settlement,” the company said in a press release at the time.

It said the local community could take advantage of its free health services. Mobile clinics were stationed in Kampung Bojong Sudika, Kampung Jayawaras, Kampung Mekar Sari, Kampung Cijambe dan Kampung Sindang Reret.

“Locals can also take advantage of the telecommunication post for free, through which they can telephone, send text messages and use the internet and Wi-Fi to contact relatives,” the company said.

Previously, hundreds of people affected by different natural disasters in several areas received humanitarian aid under the mobile clinic program. They included people affected by flooding in Jakarta, the eruption of Mount Sinabung in Karo regency, North Sumatra, and the eruption of Mt. Kelud in Kediri regency, East Java.

Besides providing free health treatment, the mobile clinics also supplied food, blankets, clothes, masks, schoolbooks and free telecommunication at disaster sites.

To ensure the effectiveness of the mobile clinic program, Indosat Ooredoo monitors the program consistently and evaluates it every four months. “We have to check what needs to be further developed. Our collaboration is running effectively, as indicated by the increasing demand for mobile clinics,” Deva said.

Deva expressed concern about poor infrastructure in remote and isolated areas, which hampers the delivery of healthcare services to poverty-stricken communities.

“In 2016, the mobile clinic program will move forward by introducing and increasing digital literacy in underserved communities, and introducing health education through health applications.

“The mobile clinics will also be equipped with tablets to demonstrate and introduce health applications to underserved communities.”

“We’re delighted that this program have been fully supported as well by Ooredoo Group and Leo Messi Foundation. This support has allowed us to widen the service of this mobile clinic accross Indonesia.

“This program has become one of the best practices of community health improvement in other countries Ooredoo Group operates in,” Deva said.

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Partners for Change

This page is produced by The Jakarta Post in cooperation with CCPHI Partnership for Sustainable Community. It promotes best practices in community partnerships. For more information, contact the Supplements & Supplemental Products section at supplement@thejakartapost.com.

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