There is tremendous need for affordable and quality healthcare in many areas of Indonesia. Many villagers suffer common illnesses that are easily treatable with basic medicine, however without an accurate diagnosis and treatment, these illnesses can become serious and even life-threatening.
Also, because of the limited education of many villagers, health awareness and techniques of illness prevention are not well known. Thus, most people resort to faith healers.
In 2007, we helped Cahaya Suku set up a clinic in a rural area of southeast Sumatra, to provide quality healthcare and education programmes that show the love of Christ. The clinic also provides a platform for church planters to integrate into the communities they are trying to reach.
This year, Cahaya Suku would like to open a second clinic in the same province. A villager has bequeathed a 500-square-meter piece of land to Cahaya Suku to build a medical clinic in a Muslim village.
Cahaya Suku staff in the first clinic already possess the experience they need to aid in the establishment and running of a new clinic. The clinic will be staffed by a doctor, nurse, and two church planters.
Patients will be charged a small fee for consultations and medications. Commonly requested services such as blood sugar analysis and tuberculosis tests will be offered. When necessary, the doctor will also do house visits.
This project will meet three needs. First, it will show the love of Christ through the provision of affordable and quality healthcare to those who otherwise cannot afford it. Second, it will increase health awareness through community health education programs. Third, it will provide platforms for the church planters and allow them to identify seekers from among the patients and their families.
After identifying them through a series of meetings, the church planters will invite them and their social networks into seeker Bible study groups.
