A Story About A Medical Student (in Monas)

Sukma Aditya Putra’s dream has always been to be a military man, and nothing will dissuade him — even being turned away by the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI). This 20-year-old now studies medicine at the University of National Development and spends much of his free time providing free health checkups to the public, and planning his future career as a military doctor.

Tell me more about these free health checkups. 

You could say that we are the pioneers of regular health checkups for the public. We measure blood pressure, glucose levels, uric acid, cholesterol and check blood type. A team of 10 to 20 people stands by at this health post from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. This post has been running for a few years, but we stepped up the program a year ago. 

What inspired you to do this for the public? 

It’s simple: people eat junk food. Our data says that on average, of the people we check, just 40 percent are healthy. This is obviously well below the standard that a country should aim to be regarded as having healthy citizens. People just eat to satisfy their taste buds; they don’t care about nutrition. Smoking, eating fast food and lack of exercise all affect health. We want to help people get regular checkups and to make them more conscientious about their health. 

You mentioned junk food, but what about instant noodles? 

People should know that there are lots of additives in instant noodles such as sodium carbonate, monosodium glutamate and other dangerous substances. I suggest to all instant-noodle lovers that they don’t eat them more than twice a week if they want to avoid digestive disorders or, even worse, cancer. It’s better to prevent than to cure, right? 

How many posts do medical students at your university operate? 

We have three. There is this one in Monas [National Monument Park in Central Jakarta], and ones in Cijantung and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah [both in East Jakarta]. 

Why did you choose Monas? 

As you can see, this is the spot where people come to jog. It’s always crowded on Sundays. Plus, Monas is the center of the city. So it’s much easier to get here 

Is this your dream job? 

Actually, I wanted to be in the military. After I graduated from high school, I wanted to register for the military academy but they rejected me because I wasn’t old enough. My parents suggested this medical school and I thought it was a great idea, and I can help people with my skills. This is a noble profession because we save lives. I truly believe that failure is postponed success. 

Do you still want to be in the military? 

We are from the School of Medicine at the University of National Development. Our university is under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense, so as well as giving us a chance to become doctors in five years, we have internships at five military hospitals, including the Army’s main hospital, Gatot Subroto, which supports the program. The most important thing is that we have the chance to obtain an Armed Forces scholarship to become a doctor in the military. Being in the military was my goal, but now I’m following another path to the same dream, to be a doctor in the military. 

Is the money good? 

That is a paradigm that we­ — the younger generation — should change. For me, being a doctor is not about money, money and more money. Instead it’s about serving people. The most important things in this “business” are skills, attitude and knowledge. What would you say if you met an unfriendly doctor or a doctor who gave you the wrong diagnosis? You probably wouldn’t want to consult him again, would you? That’s what I’m talking about. “One can become a true human being by becoming a rational and knowledgeable person actively serving others to the best of one’s ability.” That’s my motto. I hope people can get better access to health care. 

Do people have to pay for the checkups at the post here? 

Not really, but they can make a voluntary contribution. The money we are given is handed over to the PMI [ Indonesian Red Cross], or sometimes, after a natural disaster like the Situ Gintung dam collapse, we give the money to a related charity. 

You must be very busy. 

You can tell from my routine. Attending lectures, being president of the student executive committee and assisting with this medical checkup program means I have little time with my family, but they understand what I’m doing. As long as it’s something positive, they will support me. 

Do you have a girlfriend? 

Not at the moment. 

What do you do in your spare time? 

I like exercising. I play futsal, badminton and go swimming. But if I have time to relax, I just stay at home, hanging out with the family and browsing the Internet. I like to browse health and medical Web sites to expand my knowledge. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a real freak; I also use Twitter and Facebook. 

So, do you eat instant noodles? 

[Laughs] Rarely. Less than once a month. 

  

Sukma Aditya Putra was talkingto Farah F Anjanie.
Posted on Jakarta Globe