Healthcare with the kind ‘kaders’ in Indonesia

During the winter break, I participated in a study tour in Jakarta, Indonesia, for my degree Bachelor of Nursing. My university, the “University of Technology of Sydney”, partnered with the Universitas Indonesia to provide students with a cross-cultural experience in healthcare. During this trip, I was able to network with my fellow nursing and health professionals both locally and on an international scale whilst gaining a better understanding of Indonesia’s healthcare system.

During this trip, we visited various healthcare facilities such as hospitals, puskesmas’ (health centres), posyandu’s and posbindu’s (pop-up health centres). I attended lectures by world-class healthcare professionals where I learnt that Indonesia’s healthcare system heavily relies on kaders (volunteers) who focus on promoting and preventing diseases. We also discussed issues within Healthcare globally, possible solutions and new and upcoming innovations.

Outside of study hours, our group, with the guidance of local students and staff, took us to various museums, tourist attractions, restaurants, and historic religious sites. These outings were educational and relaxing, allowing everyone to bond whilst providing me with context and a greater understanding of Indonesia’s political, social, historical, and cultural systems, particularly on how they interact and influence their healthcare system and population.

My favourite part of the trip was seeing all the kaders (volunteers) interacting with the community and patients and witnessing the profound impact it had on them. Kaders are older women in the community who volunteer their time to better their society; some are retired nurses themselves. Their work and impact make the community feel at ease and positive whilst they, themselves, can retain a sense of purpose and status in the community.

The information I have learnt will assist me in the future, providing me with a better understanding that only some have access to the facilities we do. I will adopt this understanding in practice with patients who have immigrated from elsewhere or those who are less fortunate. It also gave me a greater understanding that people have different cultural needs that need to be catered to provide holistic care.

The moment that stuck out for me was seeing all the volunteers interacting with the community and patients and its profound impact on Indonesian society and its healthcare system.

Lauren Farlanga
Faculty of Health
Faculty Led – HEALTH – Indonesia Study Tour
New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant recipient