From the field in East Sumba. Medical care, clean water, prevention and community health where access remains difficult.
Donate
Support Care
Articles & News
Field stories
Glossary
Field guides
Health & Medical Program
Primary Medical Care
First-line assessment, treatment, prevention and referral for families living hours from a clinic and beyond reliable transport.
- Active since December 2022
- 27 Kawan Sehat agents
- 700 to 1,000 patients each month
Care starts where the road ends
In East Sumba, distance changes the course of illness. A fever, infected wound or dehydrated child may worsen for hours before transport is possible. Trained Kawan Sehat agents begin assessment, safe first-line care and referral inside the village.
The programme
A local health system built for distance
Here, distance is a clinical risk. A fever can become severe, a wound can progress to sepsis, and a pregnancy complication can turn critical before a family reaches formal care.
Primary Medical Care places trained Kawan Sehat health agents inside their own communities. They are not substitutes for doctors. They are the first safe point of contact: close enough to act early, trained enough to recognise danger and connected to medical supervision when a case exceeds local capacity.
Care is provided without charge at the point of service. Medicines, dressings, diagnostic supplies, education tools and reporting systems are carried into areas where routine health infrastructure is absent or difficult to reach.
Women and men working inside their own villages, with structured training and support.
Assessment, treatment, education, follow-up and referral carried out close to home.
Medicines, dressings and basic diagnostic supplies are checked and replenished regularly.
The programme began in December 2022 and continues as a permanent field operation.
From first contact to follow-up
How care reaches a patient
Every consultation must connect observation to a safe decision. Symptoms, vital signs, treatment, danger signs, referral and follow-up are documented so care does not end when the agent leaves the house.
First contact
A nearby Kawan Sehat agent listens, examines and records the patient’s symptoms and history.
Assessment
Vital signs, danger signs and the limits of community treatment guide the next decision.
Care or referral
Safe basic care is provided locally. Severe or uncertain cases are referred without delay.
Documentation
The Kawan Sehat app and field records support case review, follow-up and disease surveillance.
Follow-up
The agent returns, checks progress, reinforces prevention and contacts the medical team when needed.
Clinical boundaries matter
Care close to home, referral when risk rises
The most important clinical skill is knowing the limit of local care. Agents work within defined protocols, treat what is safe, and refer immediately when symptoms, vital signs or uncertainty indicate higher risk.
What agents can do
- Assess symptoms, temperature and available vital signs
- Clean and dress superficial, uncomplicated wounds
- Provide protocol-approved first-line medicines and oral rehydration
- Support uncomplicated fever, respiratory, skin and digestive complaints
- Monitor older people, children and patients with chronic conditions
- Teach hygiene, nutrition, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and infection prevention
When agents refer
- Breathing difficulty, altered consciousness, shock or severe dehydration
- Suspected sepsis, severe infection or rapidly worsening illness
- Major trauma, deep wounds, burns or suspected fracture
- Pregnancy complications or danger signs in a mother or newborn
- Possible tuberculosis, leprosy, HIV or another condition requiring medical testing
- Any presentation that is uncertain or beyond available skills, protocols or supplies
Medicines matter, but safe use depends on training, documentation, clean equipment, supervision and regular restocking.
The system behind each visit
Tools that make continuity possible
A bag of medicines alone is not a health system. Each visit depends on trained judgement, a defined medicine list, clean dressings, usable records, follow-up and access to medical supervision. Standardising these foundations reduces unsafe improvisation and makes every case reviewable.
150-page manual
Fourteen training modules covering first-line care, prevention, danger signs and safe practice.
Kawan Sehat app
Offline and online case documentation designed for villages with weak connectivity.
Medical kits
Medicines, dressings, basic diagnostics and prevention materials adapted to field conditions.
Medical supervision
Training, case review, field visits, referral support and regular supply control.
What changes in practice
Earlier care changes the course of illness
Shorter delay to first care
A child, older person or injured worker can be assessed the same day instead of waiting for money, a vehicle or a passable road.
Safer treatment decisions
Defined protocols, supervised medicine lists and case review reduce unsafe improvisation and avoidable self-medication.
Clearer referral
Referral begins with recorded symptoms, vital signs, treatment already given and the danger signs observed.
Prevention inside daily life
Malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, wound infection, hygiene and nutrition are discussed at home, in schools and during care, in language people understand.
Clinical manualPrimary Medical Care field manualOpen the 150-page manual used to structure assessment, treatment, prevention, follow-up and referral.
PeopleMeet the Kawan Sehat agentsUnderstand who provides care and how community knowledge becomes clinical action.
Field toolsDigital tools for rural careSee how field applications support patient records, follow-up, evidence and safer decisions.
ResearchSumba Sepsis Study 2026Explore evidence on infection, delayed care and household risk across 1,001 families.
Live field recordField Notes from Eastern IndonesiaFollow short, dated updates on care, prevention, research, logistics and the realities teams meet.
Field guide & glossaryHealth and care, explainedExplore clinical terms and practical field guides grounded in Fair Future’s work in remote communities.
Medical referenceWHO primary health careRead the international framework connecting treatment, prevention and community participation.
Live from the field
Medical Field Notes, as the work happens
Two recent signals from care, research and prevention in East Sumba. These notes refresh from the Field Notes archive when a new medically relevant update is published.
Directly from the field
Latest Primary Medical Care reports
These field reports document the care actually delivered: clinical problems encountered, prevention work, referrals, supply constraints and the decisions our teams make in remote villages.
Work in preparation includes community care days connecting consultations with practical prevention and support for the next medical care day in Bidi Hunga.
14-Year-Old Girl’s Critical Medical Treatment Begins
A 14-year-old girl from Hudumburung, abandoned by her family due to poverty, has endured severe illness for years. Thanks to Kawan Sehat’s intervention, she is now undergoing essential medical tests and receiving care—her first step toward a better future. Many more children in remote regions remain without help.
Kawan Sehat Health Agents: Lifesaving Work in Rural Areas
Kawan Sehat health agents deliver essential medical care in remote regions where healthcare access is unavailable. Armed with new medical kits, they provide vital first aid, treat common illnesses, and work to prevent infections in vulnerable communities.
Kawan Sehat App Revolutionizes Rural Health Care Access
The Kawan Sehat app helps rural health agents record patient data, consult medical resources and work offline in remote East Sumba communities with limited connectivity.
Kawan Sehat Health Agents Certified in Rural Sumba
In the remote communities of East Sumba, 20 new Kawan Sehat health agents have been certified through the Primary Medical Care program. These 19 women and one man are now essential providers of life-saving care in their villages, which lack formal healthcare facilities. Their dedication and increasing proficiency are crucial for the well-being of their communities, representing a significant milestone in rural healthcare.
Empowering Health Agents Through Vital Training
This life-saving training is part of Fair Future Foundation’s mission to equip health agents with essential skills to treat illnesses and injuries in ultra-rural areas. The training empowers these agents to act swiftly and improve healthcare access for thousands of vulnerable people.
Truck of Life Delivers Medical Supplies to East Sumba
The Truck of Life has arrived at Rumah Kambera, East Sumba, after three days on the road, carrying medical supplies, training materials, and medicines for Kawan Sehat health agents. This equipment will help care for tens of thousands of people in remote areas with no medical access. Thank you for making this possible!
Truck of Life Brings Medical Care to Isolated Communities
For over three years, Fair Future’s Life Truck has provided essential medical care, medicines, and supplies to remote communities in Indonesia. This mobile unit supports primary health care, water connections, and malaria prevention to ensure access to essential resources for well-being.
Primary Medical Care: Saving Lives in Remote Regions
The Primary Medical Care program provides crucial medical aid to the isolated regions of East Sumba, where access to healthcare is limited. Your support will help sustain this vital mission and provide essential treatment to those in urgent need.
Empowering Health Workers with Essential Care Guides
In the remote region of Mbinudita, East Sumba, two dedicated health workers are making a difference through the Primary Medical Care program. Equipped with essential care guides, they deliver life-saving medical care and provide education to thousands. Their impact extends beyond health, influencing every aspect of community well-being. These women are more than caregivers – they are superheroes in their communities.
Empowering Health Workers: Saving Lives in Rural Areas
Kawan Sehat’s women health workers, through the Primary Medical Care program, are revolutionizing healthcare in extremely rural areas. Their unwavering commitment and specialized training allow them to save countless lives each day by providing essential medical attention for issues such as malaria, infections, and injuries.
Urgent Need: Support Our Primary Medical Care Program
For over two years, the Fair Future Foundation has provided vital medical assistance to thousands in remote areas, especially children and vulnerable individuals. As we enter our third year, we aim to enhance our efforts by providing education, improving logistics, and increasing medical equipment availability.
Rumah Kambera Pharmacy: Bridging Medical Gaps in East Sumba
In East Sumba, the Rumah Kambera Base Camp’s pharmacy is a lifeline for many who rely on essential medicines and health programs like #PrimaryMedicalCare and #ZeroMalaria. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help to bridge the medical gap and ensure access to healthcare for all.
Accountability
Care must remain measurable, reviewable and transparent
A programme caring for 700 to 1,000 patients each month must show more than activity. We document medicines used, care delivered, referrals, prevention work, field limits and how resources are engaged. What works is strengthened. What fails is corrected and reported.
