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Gunung Capital donates healthcare center to support local mothers, children
Women, children and adolescent health remains a major public health concern in Indonesia with the current maternal mortality rate estimated at 359 deaths per 100,000 live births.
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(Courtesy of Gunung Capital)
As we begin a new year, we are still tackling old problems.
Women, children and adolescent health remains a major public health concern in Indonesia with the current maternal mortality rate estimated at 359 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Key factors contributing to it include poor access to healthcare facilities and a shortage of healthcare workers in the community.
To overcome this national challenge, the government has initiated the integrated health service (Posyandu) strategy that aims to deliver basic healthcare services to more local communities.
As part of this important national initiative, Gunung Capital has partnered with Yayasan Habitat Kemanusiaan Indonesia to build and operate a new Posyandu building that will deliver healthcare services in Dusun Kluwung, Kesamben Kulon village, Wringinanom district, Gresik regency, East Java.
The handover ceremony, which was conducted in a hybrid format in Jakarta on Wednesday, highlighted the long distances families have to travel to access healthcare facilities - especially difficult for pregnant women and young children.
Many women have to walk several kilometers during pregnancy for basic checkups, putting at risk their own health and that of their child.
Indeed, access to healthcare facilities has been a long-standing challenge for people living in Dusun Kluwung.
Previously, the nearest local community healthcare center (Puskesmas) was located in Wringinanom district, about 4 kilometers from Dusun Kluwung, far enough to discourage local women and those with children under the age of 5 from visiting.
Empowering local communities with healthcare access
Fortunately, positive change is taking place in the village: local residents have received a gift in the form of a new integrated health services building (called Bunga Sakura) located closer to home.
“Women, especially young mothers, welcome the presence of the new Posyandu enthusiastically. We hope that healthcare services such as the one coming to our village can be rolled out to more residents in and around Jakarta in future,” said Alimin Hidayat, a village administrator who spoke on behalf of the village head during the handover ceremony.
Kelvin Fu, managing partner at Gunung Capital, handed over the keys to the Posyandu building to Habitat for Humanity Indonesia national director Susanto Samsudin, representing Dusun Kluwung residents.
The ceremony brought together representatives from Gunung Capital and Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, as well as representatives from Dusun Kluwung, both physically and virtually in the village hall located close to the new Posyandu.
Sari , a midwife representing the chair of the Puskesmas, knows well what local women need when it comes to maintaining health for mothers and young children: “Now, mothers and children can enjoy better access to health services in comfort, without having to travel to a Puskesmas far outside our village.”
Gunung Capital furnished the new Posyandu with much-needed facilities and healthcare devices including pregnancy checkup tools, a baby weighing machine and other vital medical equipment, Sari added.
The midwife expressed hope that mothers would visit the Posyandu more frequently to have checkups for their newborn babies and pregnancies: “Once again, we are really thankful to Gunung Capital and Habitat for Humanity Indonesia for providing the facility.”
Supporting healthy development of young children
Agus , a staff member at the new Posyandu, said ensuring the healthy development of local children under the age of 5 was a priority and that they would run a monthly program providing nutritious food and drinks for them.
“We thank Gunung Capital for providing cutlery and crockery to help us deliver nutrition to these young children, which prevents side effects like stunting,” he said.
Construction of the new integrated healthcare building started in early October 2021 and was wholly funded by Gunung Capital, an investment management firm focused on delivering impact with a focus on enhancing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) aspects and actively investing in infrastructure, building materials, energy transition and environmental markets . This project was done in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, a non-profit organization that focuses on helping low-income families get access to adequate housing.
Habitat for Humanity Indonesia acted as the construction project coordinator representing Dusun Kluwung.
“Children hold the promise of the next generation and represent the nation’s future, and therefore providing the opportunity of a healthy childhood to more of our country’s children is a crucial mission for all of us,” Mr Fu said.
Healthy fetal development during pregnancy has a direct impact on the life prospects of newborns, he added, noting that a disparity in access to basic health services and facilities remained a widespread challenge for Indonesia.
“We want to participate in solving this challenge of inequality in health care,” Mr Fu said. “That’s why we’ve collaborated with Habitat for Humanity Indonesia to build this Posyandu, which we know will positively impact the local community.”
A bright future
In addition to construction costs, Gunung Capital has allocated an annual budget to support the construction of additional public facilities that will improve the quality of lives of the communities.
“I am delighted that the construction of the new Posyandu has been completed and that it opened last week,” Mr Susanto said. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of the Posyandu as a frontline healthcare service provider became more important than ever.”
He hoped that the philanthropic project would inspire more companies in Indonesia to collaborate or engage in gotong royong (mutual cooperation) to help local communities with access to health care during the pandemic.
The handover ceremony concluded with a virtual tour of the new facility, which has a predominantly yellow exterior, taking the audience inside rooms where pregnancy checkups and baby weighing and feeding are performed.
“The bright, vibrant color was chosen by our staff members to keep them highly motivated in their service to mothers and children,” Mr Susanto said, optimistic that they now had a brighter future ahead.
