20 March 2019

Giving What You Can Give

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I work at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) Kencana as a nurse in the operating room. I am registered as a non-civil servant employee of the Public Service Agency (BLU). I have two children, the first is in college and the second is still in elementary school. My husband works in the Medical Records unit of Sint Carolus Hospital. Since graduating from the Sint Carolus Nursing Academy in 1995, he has worked at St. Carolus Hospital for 14 years.

I wanted to become a civil servant, so I moved to RSCM. When I was about to take the Civil Servant Candidate exam, I ran into an age restriction, finally declared as a BLU employee. I joined doctorSHARE as a volunteer in 2014, precisely during the service to Buru Island, Maluku Province. When I first joined, I had not adapted to the conditions of the floating hospital. I vomited while on duty as a surgical instrument, the next day I had to go back to the inn to rest.

Luckily, after resting, the next day I was able to recover and continue the operation again. Before joining as a volunteer, I often followed the news about doctorSHARE and was eager to join the social mission. I looked up how I could join as a volunteer. I finally joined thanks to my friend Retno who joined first. We often met because of our association in the Indonesian Urology Nurses Association, Retno introduced me and I was able to join as a doctorSHARE volunteer.

In doctorSHARE’s medical services, I am more often assigned as a surgical instrument nurse. It is possible for me to serve in other positions such as patient reception during screening, pharmacy, laboratory, assisting minor surgery, and helping with what I can do. During medical services, the team works hand in hand with each other. I had many interesting experiences participating in doctorSHARE. Each medical service location has its own story.

The experience is definitely interesting because I always make new friends with new enthusiasm. I believe that every individual in doctorSHARE has the same mission, which is to serve. Giving something that we have in any form so that it can make others happy. I have gained so many valuable experiences that I cannot mention one by one. All of them make me touched and sometimes proud to be able to give something that I can give.

I personally cannot give materially, but still have a little time and a little knowledge that can be given, giving what can be given. Joining doctorSHARE is a process of learning to understand each other and get to know various cultures in Indonesia. Where before I had never stepped on the land of Papua and Maluku, finally being able to go there, meet and chat with the community made me more proud and love being part of the Indonesian nation.

One of the most unforgettable experiences in my life was the medical service to Mayau Island, Ternate in July 2017. After four days of medical service there, our ship was hit by a storm in the sea of Ternate. The volunteer team consisted of 17 people and five crew members. Part of the hull was already submerged in water, if there was no immediate help the ship could sink. The atmosphere turned tense and silent, we all prepared on the deck of the ship, praying within ourselves for safety.

At that time the prayer that was uttered in my heart and I still remember until now “God don’t take me at this time, I’m not ready because the children are still small”. Every time I remember this prayer, I usually cry. Miracles are real, that’s what I always knew. After I said my prayer, there was help from a ship from Hong Kong, I thought God heard my prayers and those of my friends. With this event, I personally feel reborn.

I am sure and believe my friends must have felt the same fear. Participating in doctorSHARE’s ministry makes us always feel close to God and always grateful for the gifts given. The sense of pride in taking part in humanitarian missions makes us more meaningful to others. Thank you very much to doctorSHARE for giving me the opportunity to take part in it. Keep going to serve the people in the peripheral areas of Indonesia, they need real work from all doctorSHARE friends.