From Inland Papua, Doctors and Midwives Help Strengthen Health Literacy

In short videos or live broadcasts, these two female creators continue to demonstrate the contribution of women who can have a positive impact on others. Amira works in Fakfak, West Papua, and Wike in the interior of Merauke, South Papua.

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They become healthcare workers in the challenging hinterlands of Papua, from limited access to health facilities and infrastructure to a shortage of healthcare workers. Amira and Wike face various serious issues regarding women's health that endanger lives.

Experiences in addressing various health issues faced by residents, especially women, are shared on social media. From the depths of Papua, they aim to contribute to building awareness among the community and the government regarding the reality of limited health services for residents in remote areas.

Manage risky pregnancies

Amira actively shares content about reproductive health and pregnancy on Tiktok to provide education to the community, especially women, about sexual health. Amira started her career as a general practitioner at a health center and hospital in remote areas of Papua in 2013.

During his tenure, he met many Papuan women who were experiencing high-risk pregnancies and needed assistance. Most of these women were either elderly or underage. He was then moved to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology and returned to Papua to serve women in Fakfak.

As the only obstetrician and gynecologist specialist in Fakfak, Amira serves 42,000 women in this region. Together with a team of volunteers, she regularly reaches out to patients who have limited access to healthcare facilities.

According to Amira, the uneven distribution of obstetric specialists and medical personnel in West Papua is one of the biggest challenges for women in obtaining healthcare welfare. She believes that not a single woman should die during childbirth. Therefore, adequate healthcare personnel are needed to reduce the maternal mortality rate.

Amira wants to continue educating the community about women's health. Because social media is closely tied to people's lives, even for inland communities with Wi-Fi access, sharing information according to their expertise is believed to be beneficial.

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In early 2023, Amira shared one of the cases she handled when she had to pick up a patient who was a five-hour journey from Fakfak using sea and land transportation. With a portable ultrasound device, Amira examined a 23-year-old patient who was in her seventh pregnancy.

This incident has made Amira realize that reproductive health education from healthcare workers in Fakfak is still very minimal. This also affects the level of health and well-being of the surrounding community, especially women in Fakfak.

"After my first video was watched a lot, I got various feedback and the subsequent content became increasingly popular with viewers," he said.

They were pleased because their information was well-received, especially by the female community who felt that education on women's reproductive health is still very limited.

Now, with more than 1.7 million followers on Tiktok, Amira's account, @dramiraobgyn, regularly shares education about women's reproductive health. Her educational content also has a direct impact on the local community. People are starting to be encouraged to voluntarily go to the hospital for check-ups.

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"The doctor has several duties, including preventive and promotive tasks. Tiktok provides a great opportunity to serve as a platform for these duties," he said.

Meanwhile, midwife Wike, who has been working in the remote area of Merauke since 2017, often shares her daily life as a midwife and stories of the community in the Papua hinterlands through her Tiktok account, @_wike.afrilia_. She even managed to win the Changemakers of the Year award at the Tiktok Awards Indonesia in 2023.

Wike stated that when he first arrived in the interior of Papua in mid-2017, there were no medical personnel serving in the area. Wike and a colleague became the first medical personnel in the region.

During his tenure, Wike witnessed the reality of the lives of Papua's people, which moved him to share his experiences with a wider audience. Wike then turned to TikTok to share about the conditions of health infrastructure in Papua.

Wike brings up the story of limited access and healthcare fleets in the Papua hinterland. The community must travel by boat to visit the nearest healthcare facilities.

The patient had to travel six hours to receive medical treatment.

One of the unforgettable experiences that Wike shared was when she had to refer a pregnant woman with twin babies in the middle of heavy rain at 01.00 WIT. Using a small boat, Wike and her patient had to travel for 3-4 hours before switching to another boat to continue the 2-kilometer journey just to access the nearest health facility.

Wike also highlighted some of the challenges faced by women in the local area in obtaining healthcare. "The health center where I am currently assigned does not have a doctor, so patients have to travel for 6 hours to receive medical treatment," said Wike.

In addition, education about reproductive health is still a challenge for medical personnel in remote areas. He stressed the importance of delivering health education, such as family planning information in easy-to-understand language for pregnant women and local children.

Wike hopes that more decision makers can listen to the complaints of medical personnel in remote areas and provide facilities and doctor services in those areas.

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The sincerity of Wike in serving the hinterland communities of Papua has received positive appreciation from people in many regions. Many of Wike's followers voluntarily provide assistance through Wike to be distributed to residents in the hinterland of Papua, in the form of clothing, food, and cash.

"Through this social media platform, I have successfully raised awareness and empathy among other Tiktok users about health education," he said.

Kartini's Spirit

The spirit of Kartini, who fought for women's emancipation, continues to bear fruit. Wike, who was able to receive an education and become a midwife, can contribute to providing healthcare services to her patients.

Amira emphasizes the importance of gender equality in accessing education and healthcare services. Continuing Kartini's struggle, Amira continues to strive to ensure equality between the education received by women and men.

In the context of healthcare services, Amira believes that every individual has the right to receive equal care and adequate healthcare services. Women's solidarity should also be highlighted so that women can support and strengthen each other, rather than passing negative judgments on one another.

Also read: Kartini's Struggle and the Spirit of Change

Amira urges women to never give up in facing challenges as a woman. "Although the path may feel dark, there will definitely be light at the end of it. This light doesn't just come from outside, but also within ourselves," said Amira.