Rotary Club builds maternity clinics

JAKARTA (JP): The Rotary Club of Victoria, Australia, has teamed up with the Rotary Club of Jakarta-Thamrin to build several maternity clinics in villages around Mauk, Tangerang.

The decision to build the clinics was based on consideration that the villages in the area suffer one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the infant mortality there was also very high, the Australian Embassy said in a statement.

Most deaths are caused by infections that could easily be avoided in a clinic with the supervision of trained nurses, the statement said.

The Rotary Club of Jakarta-Thamrin built a clinic at the village of Gunungsari several years ago and there was an immediate improvement in the health and welfare of the mothers of the village.

The two clubs have pooled their resources to build and equip four new maternity clinics. The construction of one of the four has commenced in Klebet village.

A group of five Warragul Rotarians, led by president Jon Soutar, is visiting Indonesia from Nov. 8 to Nov. 15 to inspect the site of the first clinics. (hhr)