With the number of COVID-19 cases still rising, midwives across Indonesia must navigate new procedures while delivering babies, in the full knowledge that they are exposing themselves to possible infection.

Sinta, 23, a midwife who works at a hospital in Tangerang, Banten, said there was a heightened sense of caution and seriousness in her workplace to ensure that safety protocols were followed, especially after the government announced the nation’s first COVID-19 case in March.

She said more tests needed to be conducted and more information gathered on the condition of mothers entering the emergency room, including waiting for COVID-19 rapid test results.

Unfortunately for Sinta and her colleagues, the situation is not always so clean-cut or ideal.

“A couple of days ago, I had to help a mother who was already in labor when she was brought into the emergency room. There was no time to run tests on her. I had no time to wear a protection suit or a face shield, so I only wore gloves and a mask,” she told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

“I was honestly afraid because in that situation I didn’t know whether she had the virus or not. We only knew we had to work fast to help the mother and baby, so I just whispered to myself ‘bismillah’ and helped her.”

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