It had always been my dream and ambition to become a physician, national-level model healthcare personnel dressed in white – and it took a very long journey to achieve. Upon graduating from Methodist University Medan with a degree as a Medical Doctor in March 2005, I began to work as a PTT doctor at an isolated Puskesmas (Health Centre) in Nagan Raya District – the Sukamulia Puskesmas, in July 2006.

It was a dream-come-true for me, as I had always wanted to serve the community as a healthcare worker. I am the eldest child in my family and my parents divorced when I was in the third year of primary school. Since then, my mother acted as a single-parent and raised the three of us – my siblings and I. This situation has indeed motivated and encouraged me to make an achievement to make my mother proud; a strong lady who had single-handedly raised us and educated us with all her best intentions. 

There are undoubtedly many challenges that I faced, working in an area of conflict and hit by tsunami in 2004. Besides, the scarcity of healthcare workers and facilities in the Puskesmas also did pose some problems. Like any other remote areas, the level of education and the awareness of healthcare were still very low amongst the community.

Such a condition further encouraged me to provide mobile healthcare services to the people; our Puskesmas has 23 villages to serve, and during that time, I was the only doctor working in that Puskesmas. Apart from that, I was also conducting mentoring and counseling services together with the midwives and partner organisation, Project HOPE. Those are some of my routine activities; besides the one in Puskesmas and my private practice in the evenings.

In regards to the Puskesmas’ efforts in reducing the maternal and child mortality rate, I did come across a very interesting experience; a Project HOPE Field Coordinator informed me that he found a case of malnutrition in Sukamulia area. Initially I thought this was another routine report of the FC but later we found that Jakariya, the boy suffering from malnutrition, was a suspected case of tetralogy of fallot. On our way back, we thought of submitting a proposal, to gather funds to help cure Jakariya.

However, the funds we collected were still not sufficient to get Jakariya a surgery in RSCM Jakarta; Project HOPE staff then collected donations amongst themselves, including a donation from Project HOPE’s Country Director,  Dr. Nasaruddin Sheldon; and now, Jakariya was ready to go to Jakarta.  After a long and tedious bureaucratic process, Jakariya underwent his surgery and is now fully recovered; he is as healthy as any other boy of his age. I personally felt so touched and so grateful that this was happening – my one task was accomplished and I know I still have many other challenges lying ahead.
 
This story of Jakariya, the passion to share and to help, had unexpectedly earned me a nomination as a model doctor representing Aceh Province at the national level. This was really a blessing as all my hard work and efforts all these years were being recognised and appreciated by the President of Indonesia.  I was invited to attend the 64th Independence Day at the National Palace in Jakarta, and got to meet the President himself, as well as the Minister of Health and the other state authorities.

I feel so happy that I had the chance to share this with my colleagues all over the country. Although this had been truly a great achievement, I still believed that I had the responsibility to improve the maternal and child health status. I had always wanted to be an Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist; I took an entry exam in University of North Sumatra but I have not succeeded yet. Nonetheless, I will keep trying and hopefully one day later, I will make it!