Why It Matters

Geographic & Economic Disadvantages Result in Lack of Healthcare Services in Indonesia’s Rural and Remote Areas

Approximately 40% of Indonesia’s 269 million citizens are living with less than USD$ 3.10 per day. The archipelago geography poses a significant challenges to providing accessible healthcare through out the nation. Vital infrastructures, such as roads, are poorly available especially in the eastern part of Indonesia.

Furthermore, healthcare currently takes up only 5% of Indonesia’s 2019 state budget and a small fraction of this is made available to regional governments. This data alone indicates the difficult effort to provide equal healthcare services to all.

As a result, Indonesians living in rural and remote areas are often have to face the following problems:
  • Weak primary healthcare services
  • Almost non-existent secondary specialized care
  • 62.9% of population lack access to hospitals
  • 60.8% of population lack access to primary healthcare facilities (Puskesmas, Pustu, Midwife)

Even though the infrastructure is in place, significant numbers of primary healthcare facilities has no doctors; mostly in Papua (45.2%), Maluku (44.9%), Papua Barat (40%), Sulawesi Tenggara (29.5%), and NTT (20.5%).

Comparison of Number of Healthcare Providers in Jakarta vs. Eastern Indonesia

Low Doctor-to-Patient Ratio:
Jakarta: 1 Doctor vs. 350 People
Maluku + Papua: 1 Doctor vs. 4000 People

Jakarta: ~27,000 Registered Doctors vs. 10.3m People
Maluku + Papua: ~1,700 Registered Doctors vs. 6.5m People

Indonesia Underperforms in Its MMR Attainment Despite Its Economic Status & GDP Per Capita.

One of the basic goals which reflect improvement in the overall population health problems is increased maternal survival, and indicator such as Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is highly dependent on the overall status of the healthcare system. Low MMR attainment demonstrates lack of or unavailability of proper healthcare services.

In places like Maluku, 4 out of 10 pregnant women experience complications and 70% of them are left untreated. This means we have one of the highest rates of women dying at pregnancy and children who do not make it past the age of 5.

Prevalence of Malnutrition in Indonesia is High

Stunting / impaired growth is the devastating irreversible result of poor nutrition in-utero and early childhood. Children with stunting issue will never attain their full possible height and limited brain development which impacted their cognitive potential.

Based on global threshold on malnutrition, the prevalence of malnutrition in Indonesia is categorized as high.

  • 1/3 Children (under 5yo) Are Malnourished
  • 30% Stunting (Low Height for Age)
  • 16.6% Wasting (Low Weight for Height)
  • 17.5% Under Weight (Low Weight for Age)
  • Infant Mortality Rate 60/1000

In one fateful evening in 2009, dr. Lie Dharmawan, the founder of doctorSHARE, was in the process of finishing his last surgery during a medical service trip to Kei island in Maluku. As they were preparing to leave, a dying 9-year-old Susanti was suddenly rushed in by her distraught mother and begging the doctor to save her daughter’s life. Dr Lie discovered that she had taken her daughter sailing across the ocean for 3 days to get help because there was no doctors or help in the region she’s from.

Susanti, laying unconscious in her arms, had a severe strangulated intestine and was at risk of internal bleeding. Despreate and frantic, Susanti’s mother had no where else to go for help.

This is the issue that everyday Indonesians’ would have to face day to day when it comes to healthcare treatments. doctorSHARE aims to bridge the gap and provide healthcare to those without access and in needs.

What We Do

20
Active Volunteers on work now
Join our group of passionate volunteers to help bring healthcare closer to our friends in remote area of Indonesia. Volunteering with doctorSHARE will not only change their lives, but also yours. Medical or Non-Medical volunteers are all welcome!

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