Erwin, the Field Coordinator of the Primary Medical Care programme, spends days crossing muddy roads, broken bridges, and steep trails to deliver medicines to Kawan Sehat agents. His work keeps remote East Sumba villages connected to lifesaving care, dignity, and trusted medical support.
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Hello, I’m Erwin, the Primary Medical Care Program Field Coordinator.
For over a month, I’ve been travelling across rugged terrain, visiting different communities to resupply medicines for our twenty-one Kawan Sehat health workers. These workers operate in seven sub-districts and many villages, each presenting its own unique challenges. Some locations can be reached in three hours, others in more than five, with rutted, muddy roads or collapsed bridges. To resolve connectivity issues and ensure our mobile app functions correctly, I sometimes have to climb hills or even trees to get a strong phone signal.
This is the core of the Primary Medical Care programme: delivering vital health services in areas inaccessible to doctors. In each location, I meet workers who fulfil multiple roles: healers, educators, parents, and farmworkers. Their hospitality is warm as they open their doors to their homes and schools, sharing their struggles and stories of being the only health resource in their community. I carefully resupply their medications, repair their tools, and often join them at night to share meals and stories by candlelight or the faint glow of solar lamps.
“This work is exhausting but meaningful. Every journey, every refill, every conversation with our agents reminds me why we do this: to make sure no one is left without care, no matter how far the road takes us.” — Erwin
In remote areas like Lahiru, families must brave treacherous three-kilometre descents to access clean water, while in Kabanda, the fear of landslides disrupts the journey to the nearest Puskesmas or Pustu. For these communities, the presence of a trained, equipped, and supported Kawan Sehat Agent is not only vital but lifesaving. Access to medication for fever, infections, injuries, or malaria prevents children from suffering, allows mothers to continue their daily work, and helps the elderly to relieve their pains.
The journey is arduous, but deeply rewarding. Each resupply goes beyond mere logistics; it represents a bond of trust, reassuring these courageous agents that they are not alone in their mission. The impact of their work is immense: they enable hundreds, even thousands, of patients each month to receive care. This exemplifies the spirit of Primary Medical Care: restoring dignity, maintaining a presence, and providing solutions where none existed before.
Umbu Erwin, PMC Field Co-ordinator – Medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – August 22nd, 2025
External Links
List of Related Organisations with Hyperlinks
- Doctors Without Borders: Provides emergency medical care in crisis and remote regions worldwide.
- International Federation of Red Cross: Supports a global humanitarian network focused on health, resilience, and disaster response.
- World Health Organisation: A leading global health authority committed to expanding access to healthcare everywhere.
- Rotary International: Supports humanitarian projects, including improving water and healthcare access in rural communities.
- UNICEF: Works to improve child health, nutrition, and education in the most vulnerable regions.
- Clinton Health Access Initiative: Expands access to medicines and healthcare systems globally.
- Global Fund: Invests in combating malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV in vulnerable regions.
- Malaria Partners International: Supports grassroots malaria elimination programmes through Rotary partnerships.
