Poor medical service inspires a midwife to open int'l hospital
Poor medical service inspires a midwife to open int'l hospital
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Siti Rochayah's efforts to go the extra mile to have her dreams come true have been awarded. After opening a small childbirth clinic years ago, her medical empire has bloomed into two large, new hospitals and two other maternity clinics (Rumah Bersalin).
The poor treatment available for pregnant women had always saddened her. Proper, professional services are so often very expensive and only available for wealthy people.
Rochayah, a friendly and humble midwife, now employs more than 600 people comprising dozens of specialists, general practitioners, nurses, midwives, administrative staff members, security guards and others under the management of PT Sari Asih.
Despite the fact that she is now the commissioner of the family business that manages Sari Asih Hospital in Karawaci, the newly opened Sari Asih Hospital in Cileduk, Harapan Bunda Child Birth Clinic in Perumnas I, Karawaci and Sari Asih Child Birth Clinic in Sangiang, she remains low profile, loves her profession and cares about others.
The mother of five children, and currently the chairperson of the Indonesian Midwife Association (IBI) for Tangerang municipality's branch, made a promise to herself to help anyone who needed it, regardless of their social or economic status.
As IBI chairperson, she has been working hard in the struggle to improve the quality and the performance of around 380 midwives in Tangerang municipality.
"Many midwives try to perform complicated surgery in the homes of patients (mothers) who fail to give birth in a normal way. This is very dangerous and this is the main problem we are coping with," she told The Jakarta Post in an interview at her office.
Midwives were not certified for such procedures, she continued, and are required to transfer patients who fail to deliver in a normal way to a nearby hospital for the safety of the patients' lives.
In an attempt to reduce the risks of death to mothers who give birth at home with the assistance of midwives, she recently recommended that all midwives acquire competence certificates issued by the IBI.
Midwives will also be required to make regular visits to patients recently discharged from clinics to do regular checkups on both mother and child.
"What we all want is to see all mothers leaving the clinics along with healthy babies. With the best service, both mother and baby can be saved from death, mostly caused by bleeding or infection," said Rochayah who was born in Kebumen 53 years ago.
As a child, she could not bear the sight of blood, but her mother forced her to go to midwifery school so that she could get a job and "help other people."
Since her husband, Marsudi, was frequently assigned to other towns and cities throughout the country and she had to bring up her children alone at home, she decided to stop working at the childbirth clinic.
While raising her children, she continued to help mothers give birth across Tangerang's villages until she finally opened her own childbirth clinic named Sari Asih.
The hospitality, sincerity, patience and perseverance that she exuded when helping patients won the hearts of many people and the Sari Asih clinic soon became the favorite choice of most mothers who wished to give birth or treat their children.
"I love my profession and that's why I remain a simple midwife. I will never reject calls to help patients in villages. I do it joyfully," said Rochayah.
In cooperation with Muamalat Bank, she developed the clinic into a hospital with 150 beds that acquired accreditation for medical treatment in 12 service fields from the government in 1999 and built another hospital in Cileduk last year.
Sari Asih hospital that grew from a small clinic is the only hospital that has a neonatal intensive care unit for premature babies in Tangerang.
Rochayah also spares time to visit, talk to and congratulate patients, especially mothers being treated at the hospitals and emphasizes hospitality to all employees in serving the patients.
She was feted by the Global Institute of Jakarta for her good track record in health services, but she turned down the award because she still does not believe she has done enough to earn it.
"I don't think I am the right person to receive the award and that's why I never took it. To me, the best human is the human who becomes useful for others," said Rochayah who indulges in her other passion as often as possible -- reading.
In 1994, Sari Asih Hospital won the Baby Friendly Award from the UNICEF and won the Favorite Hospital Award in 2000.
When visiting foreign countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China and the U.S., Rochayah always uses the opportunity to learn about proper, professional hospital management, facilities and treatment.
She also pays great attention to employee welfare by providing scholarship for them and their children, and in the past two years has financed several senior Muslim employees for the pilgrimage to Mecca.
In the near future, the grandmother of four plans to develop the Sangiang Childbirth Clinic into a full-fledged Mother and Child hospital and upgrade the Sari Asih Hospitals so they are on par with international standards.