Berkatnu Indrawan Janguk was a young doctor who was stationed in the emergency unit of Soewandi Hospital in Surabaya, East Java. He was a part of a COVID-19 handling team. To his family and for many, he was a hero.

On April 27, 2020, Berkatnu died at the young age of 28 after suffering COVID-19 complications. His passing made him the 25^th Indonesian doctor who had died helping the country fight the pandemic — a sad and angering reality that is far from fair and should not have happened, seen from any perspective.

Genuinely cares

Berkatnu was born in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan. His mother, Inriaty Karawaheni, 55, told the Post that from a young age, Berkatnu was known as a dutiful son. The fact that he gave his all for his profession to the end did not shock her.

“He was such a dutiful son and also very open to us about everything. He genuinely cared about the people around him. I have no better words to describe him,” Inriaty reminisced about her eldest son.

Proud friend: Close friend Novalinda, right, said that even when his job as a doctor kept him busy, Berkatnu always set aside time to tutor medical students by helping them review subjects or cases. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Inriaty Karawaheni and Berkatnu Indrawan Janguk family)

Inriaty added that the family knew that Berkatnu would be a doctor because of his grandmother’s prophecy when he was a baby.

“When Berkatnu was still a baby, his grandmother often cuddled with him. She said that in the future, my son would become a doctor. Maybe that statement lingered in Berkatnu’s mind.”

In High School, Berkatnu expressed his desire to become a doctor.

“When he said that the tuition would be expensive, I told him not to worry about it and keep focusing on his studies instead,” his mother said.

In 2017, he graduated and obtained his medical license from the School of Medicine of Wijaya Kusuma University in Surabaya. Throughout his career as a doctor, though short-lived, he saved many lives and it was his dream to serve others. 

Berkatnu’s younger brother, Andika Anugerahnu Janguk, 18, has similarly fond memories of his older brother, describing him as a caring person.

“He just loved to smile at other people and help them. As an older brother, he always reminded me to be a good person,” Andika said.

As a person from Banjarbaru living in Surabaya, Berkatnu was also known to be a devout Christian who was caring toward the people in his praying group. Despite being busy with his work, he spared time to play the guitar for his church.

“He just loved praising God and always encouraged us to be closer to Him,” said Novalinda Martha Thene, 24.

Novalinda was a few years below Berkatnu at university. She is currently serving her clinical year in Probolinggo, East Java. She said she would never forget how Berkatnu loved to help and treat those who were sick and away from their parents.

Big brother, father figure

Novalinda met Berkatnu when she was looking for a church community. They got along because they had gone to the same university.

“He was more than just a big brother or a leader of our praying group; he was a father figure to me. He genuinely listened to all of my struggles,” Novalinda told the Post.

In between his busy schedule as a doctor, Berkatnu would set aside time to hold tutorials with medical students to review subjects or cases.

“He always replied to our messages, no matter how busy he was. He would give very detailed answers."

Dutiful son: According to his parents, Berkatnu Indrawan Janguk was always caring of others and a dedicated son to them. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Inriaty Karawaheni and Berkatnu Indrawan Janguk family)

Novalinda recalled a time when Berkatnu tended to her and gave her medicine when she was sick.

"I was sick and told him that I needed medicine. That night, he showed up at my rooming house with the medicine," she said.

This kind gesture touched Novalinda as a fellow non-native of Surabaya. His kindness did not stop with Novalinda but was also extended to other people.

“He was not a penny-pinching kind of person. When we wanted to pay for our medicine, he almost never accepted the money. I never paid for the medicine he gave me.”

Before contracting COVID-19, Berkatnu told his mother that one of his patients had lied about being exposed to COVID-19 so that he would be treated in the emergency unit where he worked. It was suspected that Berkatnu was infected while he was working in the emergency unit.

Berkatnu will surely be missed by many. He was known as a doctor, a brother, a leader and a father figure to those who moved to Surabaya to pursue their education.

No more fallen heroes

“Berkatnu’s passing saddened me. I needed two to three days to calm myself. It is downright appalling when I hear people accusing doctors of diagnosing every ailment as COVID-19, especially when I remember that Berkatnu was exposed to COVID-19 because a patient had lied about his condition,” Novalinda said. “Though I am currently undergoing my internship, I saw COVID-19 patients with my own eyes. We are no longer allowed to be in the emergency unit anymore. But I know enough now that at a critical moment like this, doctors need to be very selective. If there is no place available, they need to choose the patients who have a better survival rate.”

True hero: On April 27, 2020, Berkatnu died of COVID-19 after contracting the disease from a patient. He was 28 years old. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Inriaty Karawaheni and Berkatnu Indrawan Janguk family)

Novalinda urged people to obey health protocols to prevent the senseless deaths of medical workers and loves ones, like Berkatnu.  

Berkatnu leaves behind a mother and his younger brother, both of whom now live in South Kalimantan. They also had COVID-19. Berkatnu's father, Suriawan Pribandi, died of COVID-19 on June 27, 2020, at the age of 57.

Inriaty revealed that Berkatnu had planned to pursue a specialist degree in internal medicine in August 2020.