In the village of Lahiru, Ibu Sarlota, a health worker with Kawan Sehat, swiftly attended to a young boy’s severe foot injury, averting a potential major infection. This incident highlights the life-saving influence of our Primary Medical Care program, which delivers crucial healthcare services to remote areas in East Sumba.

Kawan Sehat, a health worker, saves a young boy in rural Sumba from serious infection through timely and effective medical treatment.

This new “Picture of the Day” shows Ibu Sarlota, a Kawan Sehat health worker, who has been active for more than two years in the Primary Medical Care program, who lives with her family in Lahiru village, Kecamatan Mahu, Sumba Timur.

Sarlota is providing medical care to a young boy who has a deep foot injury caused by walking without shoes on his way to school… And what happens very often here, he has injured himself and is bleeding. So something has to be done quickly and it is Sarlota, the Kawan Sehat health worker who will take charge of things, accompanied by the boy’s entire family and some villagers who are not in the photo but are waiting in front of the house.

Here, as elsewhere in this far eastern region of Indonesia, in these extremely rural villages, medical facilities are often considered “absent” or a “luxury,” as here in Lahiru for example, the local Puskesmas, or the nearest health facility, is over 12 kilometres away, a harrowing trek that follows one of the most perilous and rugged routes imaginable.

In communities like Mahu and Lahiru, accessing medical care often requires hours of walking, making the Primary Medical Care program essential. Without readily accessible health services, even minor injuries can quickly turn into serious infections. Imagine that young child with an untreated foot wound that becomes infected due to lack of antibiotics or basic wound care—this was a common reality before we started this program over two years ago.

In this “Picture of the Day” , the whole family gathers to support the young injured boy and watch as Ibu Sarlota cleans and treats the wound with the medical equipment in her medical backpack. Her role goes beyond just medical care; it is also about providing comfort, words of relief, real solutions with real medical care and of course information on what to do next to prevent this injury from getting worse. This moment highlights the importance of the Primary Medical Care program, where our health workers ensure that effective and life-saving treatments reach even the most isolated communities like here in Lahiru, Mahu, Sumba Timur.

Thank you very much for your interest and help.

Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – The 8th of November 2024.

• Doctors Without Borders: Like Fair Future, MSF provides life-saving medical care in remote and crisis-affected regions, ensuring that healthcare reaches those who need it most.
• VillageReach: VillageReach focuses on strengthening healthcare delivery in rural areas, similar to Fair Future’s Kawan Sehat program, by empowering local health workers and improving access.
• Health in Harmony: Health in Harmony partners with remote communities to provide healthcare and promote environmental stewardship, aligning with Fair Future’s commitment to holistic rural health.
• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps works to improve healthcare in vulnerable regions by supporting local health initiatives and providing medical resources, much like Fair Future’s programs in East Sumba.
• Project HOPE: Project HOPE trains local health workers and provides essential medical care in underserved areas, echoing Fair Future’s focus on empowering community health agents to save lives.