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.