Three siblings, namely LTP (11), NS (5), and SNR (3), residents of RT 005/09, Tanah Sereal Urban Village, Tambora Sub-District, West Jakarta, are known to suffer HIV/AIDS. What is more sad is that they are orphans.
According to their neighbors, these three children are alleged getting the disease from their mother, NJ, who was a commercial sex worker when she was alive and had been said suffered HIV/AIDS. While their late father, SW, was a drugs addict.
Chief of RW 09, Tantowi, told that this HIV/AIDS case was found out from residents’ report. On Tuesday (2/5) night, NS was really sick, which at first thought that the kid suffered malnutrition. But when NS was brought to Tambora Sub-District Community Health Center (Puskesmas) the next day, the doctor was already recognized him because her mother intensively conducted treatment of HIV/AIDS in the community health center when she was still alive.
Ironically, from those three children, only NS who is now being treated intensively in Cengkareng General Hospital (RSUD). As for LTP and SNR, they still live in their uncle’s house because when referred to RSUD Cengkareng and Tarakan, both hospitals always refused with reason the rooms are full.
“Both hospitals are making hard the situation by saying the rooms already full. The residents feel pity because those three children are orphans and poor, while their grandmother does not understand about this matter. Even to buy their diapers, the residents are sharing money. The government should have cared about the fate of those three children, not closing their eyes,” asserted Tantowi.
Head of Tambora Sub-District, Yunus Burhan, said that as an early anticipation so his residents get first treatment, his party has sent GEMA, a non-governmental organization (LSM) who concerns on HIV/AIDS case. In addition, he will also coordinate with West Jakarta Health Sub-Department to ease access for LTP and SNR to get special treatment.
“We will also coordinate with general hospitals to prioritize those children and ease the process,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Head of West Jakarta Health Sub-Department, Widyastuti, explained that BPJS (Social Security Management Agency) is the authority of central government, while her department can only coordinate to ease residents getting it in case of emergency. In this matter, only NS, from those three children, whose condition is very ill. As for LTP and NSR, they do not need treatment yet. However, when they need it, West Jakarta Health Sub-Department is ready to coordinate with RSUD.
“Indeed, LTP does not have BPJS yet. That’s why we’ll help if the situation is emergency. We also have checked that there is no patient rejected,” she explained.
When being met at RW 09 post, LTP and his brother SNR, who were accompanied by their grandmother, R (50), uttered that their father died when they was still toddlers, while their mother just passed away three months ago. Now, they are treated by their grandmother who works as a domestic helper whose income is only Rp 300 thousand per month.
“Our father died when we were still kids, while our mother passed away three months ago. We don’t have money to get treatment, that’s why we could only resign,” he expressed.
