“RSTKA Bakti Bawean Edition” community service amid pandemic

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RSTKA volunteers ready to serve in remote areas across the country. (RSTKA YouTube illustration)

UNAIR NEWS – This year has been a difficult year for dr. Agus Harianto, Sp.B, Director of Ksatria Airlangga Floating Hospital (RSTKA), and team members. Deciding to set sail does not mean underestimating a pandemic. Bawean Island is the first island and will be the only island to stop by for Ksatria Airlangga Floating Hospital throughout 2020.

The social service taking place from November 19 to 30, 2020, seems to have brought a different experience for doctors, who mostly provide services in hospitals. dr. Iqbal Dwi Cahyo, a volunteer general practitioner, said that they were required to be versatile, starting from preparation to completion of activities.

“We have to be all-rounders, starting from equipment preparation, room preparation, providing services from surgeries and general clinic, to completion of equipment sterilization and tidying up everything,” he said.

The sailing of Ksatria Airlangga Floating Hospital has given many impressions for volunteers and RSTKA officials. The impression of togetherness, the good and the bad were experienced together. As stated by dr. Almira Talitha, a volunteer who is also a general practitioner, she was very impressed by the team’s togetherness.

“We volunteer together on the ship, share what we have, then share our experiences, cook together, basically all of these activities are carried out together,” she said.

The same thing was also expressed by Dr. Amiruddin, from the RSTKA supervisory board who always misses the atmosphere of the ship, being with volunteer doctors, young people and ship crew. Moreover, he remembered the time when he had to pray while balancing his stance because of the waves.

Full of hope

When it started sailing, Ksatria Airlangga Floating Hospital became a source of hopes for the volunteers. The volunteers and officials hoped they would be able to record cataract and pterygium patients who need services so when they come back they can provide better service.

“We hope we can record patients who need help, patients with cataracts and pterygium or with membranes in the eyes. The activity that time was not possible for cataract surgery, so we first gather the patients. Hopefully we will come back to do cataract surgery later, “explained dr. Dini Dharmawidiarini, Sp.M., one of the ophthalmologists at RSTKA.

Patients also expressed gratitude for the services provided by RSTKA. Some of the services provided during the RSTKA social service activities on Bawean Island in 2020 are for 75 surgical patients, 2 SC patients, 17 dental patients, 121 ENT patients with installation of hearing aids to 6 patients, 59 pediatric patients, counseling related to stunting, Covid-19, new norm habits, literacy education to planting tree seeds, distributing masks, and cleaning the beach. (*)

Author: Rista Novianti

Editor  : Nuri Hermawan

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Media komunikasi dan informasi seputar kampus Universitas Airlangga (Unair).