Irony of the Little Shaman

by dr. Sunarto

A new uproar about the naïve death due to crowding in the queue of the little dukun has caught the public's attention. This incident is similar to the victims who died as a result of zakat distribution last year. Both appeared in East Java. The phenomenon of the little shaman Ponari was followed by the appearance of the “spouse” of the little dukun Dewi. The magic stone is sacred as a medium for healing various diseases. It is not strange for some of our society, this mystical tradition is still very strong. They don't want to know how the healing mechanism makes sense or not. Actually there are many reasons why they mandate the practice of health services or other places of healing. Several background factors were put forward by a health anthropologist, Andersen, namely individual character, needs, experiences, interpersonal relationships, and abilities.

Individual character greatly influences the tendency to choose a health service or the like. These individual characteristics are determined by demographic conditions, social structure and beliefs. Perceptions of health and illness still vary widely in society. This situation drives people whether they need to see a doctor or not. Meanwhile, the factor of need is also a determinant of people going for treatment. For those who feel pain, discomfort or because of the duration of suffering, they can force themselves to attend healing practices wherever they are.
The naivety of the incident of child "traditional healers" might be common if it still occurs in some countries on the African continent, not in Indonesia. Indeed, the character of our society is very unique in the choice of health services. The practice of medical services by our health workers is in a difficult position. For those who think they are modern, advanced and rich, if they feel a little ill go to Singapore for treatment. They do not have a sense of pride and trust in the practice of the services of national doctors. Perhaps the feeling of nationalism has also faded. On the other hand, most of our people prefer alternative health care practices, for reasons that are cheaper. This alternative understanding is understood as the practice of smart people, psychics to little shamans like Ponari and Dewi. Belief in the efficacy of medical services to Singapore and traditional healers both carry strong suggestions for the healing process.

Factors of experience and interpersonal relationships become one of the determinants of people choosing the desired place of health services. Perceptions of being satisfied or not, recovering or not recovering are based on individual experiences. Unpleasant experiences due to unfriendliness and discrimination by health workers can cause people to switch places. This situation is still often heard and experienced, especially by poor patients when receiving medical services in various regions. It must be admitted that our public service officers still need to socialize their understanding of rights-based public services.
The most interesting thing is the extent of our community's ability to obtain treatment. The development of medical science and technology does not automatically bring access for all to a more equitable health service. The progress of the medical world is not proportional to the increase in people's ability to get it. The existence of many hospitals, poly clinics, doctors' practices, etc., seems to be reserved only for those who can afford to pay for it. The low socio-economic condition raises its own problems at the level of people's ability to pay for health care costs. The occurrence of illness and its severity will affect everyone, rich and poor alike. For the rich (a small part of Indonesian society) it doesn't matter how much the medical expenses are, as long as the illness they suffer recovers quickly. Our general problem is that most people still find it very difficult to afford to pay according to the current rates for medical services. They are "forced" to tend to go to non-medical treatment practices. What about the implementation of the health insurance program so far. Isn't this program aimed at equitable access to health services for all. Don't they get bail?
Thousands of crowded people are willing to wait in order to get a miracle from the shaman. This fact is a reflection of the failure of the government and health stakeholders in implementing a health care insurance program. In fact, the queue of thousands of patients outside of medical services is a very worrying irony. In the midst of the government's claims of success in the Jamkesmas program, BLT, the reduction in fuel prices, it was suddenly shown by the fact that (many) people did not get proper services. Of course, research is needed to prove the reasons people come to the little shaman.
The government should introspect and honestly admit that monitoring of the implementation of various basic service programs has not been going well so far. The Jamkesmas policy runs without sufficient supervision. What actually happens when patients from the poor receive treatment from health care providers. Hospitals, Health Centers, Posyandu, other clinical practices both in the form of institutions and individuals should continue to improve themselves to serve the community optimally. The development of the era followed by social change will affect people's behavior
The political climate ahead of the 2009 election should be a momentum that . Party and candidate leaders must pay attention to the fate of the people for public services in real terms. It's not just about claiming that each other is the most successful and accusing the other of failing. It is still quite difficult for our people to obtain basic rights such as proper health and education services. It is hoped that politicians and policy makers will pay attention to the health sector to fight for an increase in the budget.