Dedication of A Nurse

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Sahidin

Had it not been for his late foster father’s will, Sahidin, 33, would have left his remote village for a better life. His father’s will made him aware that life is not always about money, but about how we give benefits to others.

After graduating from the Helvetia Nursing Academy in Medan, North Sumatra, in 2005, Sahidin was asked to return home to Melidi village, Simpang Jernih district, East Aceh regency, Aceh. His foster father, Poniran, had willed for Sahidin to return to his birthplace.

Sahidin was born to a poor family. After graduating from junior high school, he was adopted by Poniran, a resident of Langkat regency in North Sumatra. Poniran helped finance Sahidin’s university education.

“Do not do good for money, but do it with conscience and sincerity. Build your village,” Sahidin said, recalling the final message of his foster father.

We met Sahidin in the remote village of Melidi on Friday (30/3/2018). The only way to access the village is by crossing a river with a wooden boat. There was no electricity, no phone network and limited health facilities.

Sahidin is a nurse. He is employed by the regency of East Aceh. Although his pay is low, the father of one is keen to handle the health of residents in four villages, Melidi, Tampur Bor, Tampur Paloh and HTI Ranto Naro. As many as 1,600 residents in the four villages rely on Sahidin.

The only health facility for the four villages is the Community Health Center (Puskesmas) in Melidi village, the office of which is currently damaged by a collapsed tree. Sahidin is the head of the health center.

Medical supplies

Since Melidi is a remote village, medicine at the health center is often in short supply. The medicine must be brought in from a bigger health center in Simpang Jernih district, about two hours from Melidi. Sahidin must cruise the river back and forth for four hours on his own expense. When Sahidin collects the medicine, there is no medical staff left at the health center. To visit other villages, he also takes the wooden boat.

Meanwhile, the closest hospital is located in Kuala Simpang, Aceh Tamiang regency, about five hours by boat.

After graduating from the nursing academy, Sahidin worked for a few months for a foreign organization in Banda Aceh to help the victims of the tsunami. However, the will of his foster father called him back to his birthplace.

From 2006 through 2014, Sahidin worked under a non-permanent employment status with a pay of Rp 300,000 per month. Only since 2014 is he a contract employee with a pay of Rp 600,000 per month.

As a nurse, Sahidin must be ready to serve the residents. He visits the houses of ill people to give them medical treatment. Because the residents are mostly low-income earners, they often cannot afford to pay the medical bill. Sahidin is sincere. He believes God will pay for every deed he did.

“There are people who pay the medical service with chicken or rice. Now, I have many chickens. I got the first chicken from a patient of mine,” Sahidin said.

Helping woman give birth

At the end of 2006, disaster hit Simpang Jernih. A flash flood swept villages along the river. Thousands of residents fled to the hills. They could not get supplies, medicine and there was no medical staff.

“All of my medicine supply was swept away with the flood. I was saddened to see the condition of the evacuees. I am a nurse, but I could not do much,” Sahidin said.

At that time, Sahidin’s sister was pregnant and about to give birth. The family was anxious, because there was no midwife. Feeling anxious himself, Sahidin helped his sister give birth. “Because she is my sister, I had to do something,” Sahidin said.

It was the first time for him to help a woman give birth. A few years later, a similar event occurred. A resident in HTI Ranto Naro, the farthest village, was in labor. Residents brought her on a stretcher. They had walked for four hours to the dock.

The journey to the community health center was another two hours on a boat. Witnessing the woman almost dying at sea, Sahidin cried. After asking the woman’s family for permission, Sahidin helped the woman give birth on the boat that night. The baby and the mother were safe.

“I am not a midwife. I know that what I did was a violation, but this is for humanity. It is impossible for me to ignore a resident that is dying,” he said. He has helped at least nine women give birth.

Selling the dowry

A saddening and funny story happened in 2012, when the medicine supplies had run out and Sahidin had no money to restock. There was urgent need for medicine. Finally, Sahidin sold the dowry, 12 grams of gold, to buy medicine.

“I had an argument with my wife, but eventually she could accept it to help other people,” Sahidin said.

Once, Sahidin was desperate to realize the financial hardship of working as a nurse in a remote village. In fact, it was hard for him to feed his wife and two children. Until now, he still lives at his parents’ house. Once, he decided to look for gaharu wood (aquilaria) in the forest. A month in the forest, but he could not find the wood.

Sahidin has reviewed his life and finally accepted his profession as a nurse. “I have to stay here. I believe God has a better plan,” he said.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Sahidin

Birthplace/birthdate: Melidi, East Aceh, July 20, 1984

Wife: Erna Pertiwi, 29

Children: Rahil Salsabila; Irfan Yusuf

Education: Helvetia Nursing Academy, Medan

Job: Nurse