A total of 23 universities of the Faculty of Medicine Student Senate Association (ISMKI) conducts a disaster management national social service activity at the Faculty of Medicine UGM. Some of its activities are the training of emergency response and free medical treatment at the temporary shelter of the Merapi IDPs, at Kuwang in Cangkringan, Sleman.
Vice Dean for Student, Alumni, and Business Development Affairs of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. dr. Suhardjo, S.U, Sp.M (K), said the disaster management national social service activity is a form of application of the theory and practice gained by medical students in university. "No need to wait to be a doctor or a specialist to do social service," said Suhardjo in the opening of the national social service in the Auditorium on Thursday (14/7) afternoon.
He added that medical students are required to get used to provide medical assistance to communities in need, so there will be awareness and concern for others. In relation to the uneven distribution of health services for the community, many people died due to poor health conditions. "In Indonesia, the highest death rate is caused by accident, but many people also died of heart disease, tuberculosis, HIV, and natural disasters," he said.
The lack of health services, according to Suhardjo, causes blindness rate in Indonesia to become the worst in Asia. "We used to be better than India. Now, our blindness rate is about 1.5 percent. It means that out of 100 people, there are 1-2 blind people," Chairman of the Yogyakarta Optometrist Association of Indonesia (Perdami).
UGM Director of Student Affairs, Drs. Haryanto, M.Si., said not everyone is satisfied with the current health care. Therefore, prospective doctors should not stay silent, but must take a strategic step in the future to change the current conditions. "Start by changing yourself. What happens today is the result of the past," he said.
Committee Chairman of the activity, Dimas Wirawan Witjaksono, said the national social service is conducted in order to prepare the prospective doctors to be ready as a disaster health resources. “We expect the participants to get the knowledge of disaster response. Next is to apply that knowledge in the disaster area," he concluded.
Some universities who follow the activity, among others, UGM, UI, Undip, Padjadjaran University, USU, University of Riau, University of Syiah Kuala Aceh, and Unibraw.