KGI in Kupang with Australia Indonesia Partnership for Maternal and Neonatal Health (AIPMNH) October 2010   Check out the KGI Kupang video   Read the Kang GURU Indonesia AusAID - AIP Archives for many more reports about the work, links and ties of the Australia-Indonesia Partnership (AIP), including AusAID, covering the period 2000 to now!

KGI to Kupang - October 2010 In late October 2010, Ayu and Darmika from KGI went to Kupang to take a look at the activities of one of the AusAID programs in the area, the Australia Indonesia Partnership for Maternal and Neonatal Health (AIPMNH). Ayu spoke with John MComb, the Director of the AIPMNH and met other AIPMNH team members. The AIPMNH works in partnership with the local government particularly with the Health Department, the Provincial and District Health Department and with the Woman's Empowerment Program, Community Development Program, Family Planning Program and the Provincial and District Planning Board (BAPPEDA). A previous KGI story about AIPMNH The AIPMNH website - the full story of this very important AusAID activity

The Sister Hospital Program in NTT

Ayu and Darmika went to the town of Soe, a three hour drive from Kupang, to visit the RSUD - a local hospital -and spoke with doctors from a Sister Hospital in Surabaya. Dr. Dewi, one of the doctors from Dr Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, said that it's her first experience doing a practice outside Surabaya and she thought this was a great program and she was happy that she could help the local people. Hospitals helping hospitals - what a great and very logical idea - bringing in expertise from other parts of Indonesia.

Dr Dewi and Darmika at the hospital with a patient

Ayu at the hospital with staff and a patient

The sister hospital program began after the Provincial Government and AIPMNH found that there was a big shortage of specialists particularly obstetricians and pediatricians in hospitals in NTT. The Provincial Government then suggested to try and find some team of doctors from other parts of Indonesia to come and work as specialist team within the hospitals in NTT. As a result the Provincial Health Office, Gajah Mada University and the AIPMNH program set up a program where they found sister hospitals in other parts of Indonesia who could send team of 5 or 6 people to come and work within the hospital in the district. At the same time the local government (PEMDA) would establish scholarship for training local doctors from NTT to go to these hospitals in Indonesia for specialist training so the long term sustainability of the program can be developed. The idea was once the contract of hospital team finishes the specialist can come back to work in their own hospitals

Here is a comment from one of the patients' family member.

"Saya sangat berterimakasih karena dengan adanya program pemerintah yang mendatangkan dokter-dokter Ahli Rumah Sakit Soetomo. Dulu karena tidak ada dokter ahli di Soe kita harus dirujuk ke Kupang atau tempat lain di Jawa. Sekarang sudah ada tenaga ahli di Soe jadi lebih baik. I feel grateful with the government program that invites specialists from Dr Soetomo Hospital to work here. Before we patients were transferred either to Kupang hospitals or other place in java. Now there are some specialist in Soe-that's very good". Srikusole

On the last day of KGI's visit, Pak Nugroho and Quin took them to RSUD Prof. Dr. W.Z.Johannes in Kupang to meet some doctors and nurses from the districts who took part in the training program in the hospital. We were quiet nervous when they asked us to go to the maternity ward where women either were about to give birth, were giving birth or just given birth. That was a real eye-opening experience for Ayu and Darmika.

Kupang has a very high maternal mortality rate, AIPMNH working hand in hand with local government in NTT aims to prevent and reduce the maternal and neonatal mortality rate. As the program moves along more women in NTT are encouraged to use health facilities/midwife for giving birth and mothers and babies' health can be improved before and after birth.