Bingka Dolu

Ola!

Our second week in Bima surely went fast. This week we got our first chance to visit the patient's wards since we have the ward rotation first. Each of us followed up one patient, from the day the patient got in the ward till they went home.

This week, we were in the internal medicine ward. The first time we got into the ward, we were shocked. The ward was far from decent. There wasn't any air conditioner nor electric fan, so the air was so frowsty. The beds were old with mattresses as thin as a paper, no wonder the patients had difficulties sleeping.

Apparently hand gloves are luxury things in RSUD Bima. The nurses usually wash the used gloves and dry them under the sun so they could be used again. I wonder if some of the washed gloves were previously used to do rectal examination or catheter insertion.

Flies are also a big problem in the hospital, let me correct, in town. In the ward, hundreds of flies buzzed around the patients while we were examining them. Flies also hanged around the patients' food and the wards' toilets. Even the most sterile place such as operating theater has flies in it. They were literally everywhere. But I guess this is a common view in Bima, because nobody in the hospital seems to care enough to spray some insecticide. 

Realizing the fact that RSUD Bima is the biggest hospital in town, I think the hospital is below the standard. Maybe it's because I am used to be in RSCM, where everything seem to be so clean, hygienic, and neat. But again, RSUD Bima is the only place where all these Bimanese could have healthcare service, and from their perspective it is the best they could get. Isn't it pathetic?

After visiting the ward, we went to the polyclinic. We were divided into 5 departments: general medicine, internal medicine, surgery, pediatric, and obgyn. We shifted each departments every 3 weeks. I got the general medicine rotation first. There were 2 general practitioner and 3 nurses in the department. 

Since the first time I went to this department, I could feel the vibrant ambiance of it. The nurses were very kind and helpful. They helped me translating the patient's complaints since most of them can't speak Bahasa Indonesia clearly. When the service is almost over, the doctors and nurses gathered around and share some snacks. During the whole week, there's not a day that we skip the snack time. There's always someone who brings snacks and fruits to feed our gastronomical need. Moreover, chit-chatting while snacking with the nurses  feels so heartwarming and somehow makes me feel like I'm home.

One day, one of the nurses brought a cake called Bingka Dolu or mud cake in English. It's a very sweet and delicate cake, made of flour, egg, coconut milk, and brown sugar. The cake is baked on cast pan so the cake is perfectly round in shape. The outer part which stick to the pan is usually a bit overcooked, creating a bitter-tasted crust. The first time I tried this cake, I fell for it. 

As I come to think about it, this cake is just like the hospital I'm working in. My first impression to the hospital is as bitter as the crust of Bingka Dolu, it is indecent and it doesn't look inviting at all. But after the first bite when I "tasted" the warmth of the people in the hospital, which is as sweet as Bingka Dolu, I fell for it. The bitterness and sweetness in the hospital is just as perfect as Bingka Dolu. Just like my new addiction to Bingka Dolu, I think I can work happily in this hospital everyday.

Bingka Dolu, Bimanese Traditional Cake

Kalembo Ade!

Greetings from Bima, West Nusa Tenggara!

This is my first post in this blog. I made it intentionally to keep my internship experience here and to share it to my colleagues, friends, and family.

As an introduction, I was sent to Bima with 14 other colleagues to do the internship program for one year as a requirement to get my license as a GP. First time hearing the news, the first thing I do was googling the map of West Nusa Tenggara to spot the city. For those who are as clueless as me, Bima is located in the eastern side of West Nusa Tenggara, adjacent to Flores and East Nusa Tenggara. It was the second largest city in West Nusa Tenggara, right after Mataram, the capital city of the Province.

 A few weeks before our departure to Bima, I browsed the city's profile to get a certain picture of the city we're going to live in for the next one year. All I've heard was that the Bimanese are intractable and short-tempered people. Hassles and tussles were common events in Bima. Those infos alone already shrunk my heart. What kind of city am I actually thrown into?

With this question in mind, I arrived in Bima on November 20th, 2012. It was the first time for me to be in Bima. From the window of the plane, I saw the dry and arid land of Bima. When I stepped my feet on the land, the sunlight directly hit my head. It was so hot that I sweated as hell. The Bimanese said that the weather that day was nothing for it was a rainy season! I surely don't want to imagine how steamy it will be in the dry season.

After almost a week living in Bima, I found that the Bimanese are not as "scary" as I imagined they would be. The Yes, they are short-tempered, but they are kind, hospitable, and helpful. They speak Bimanese language, which is totally different with Bahasa Indonesia. The problem comes when I have to meet my patients. Most of the elder patients only speak Bimanese language, so it's kind of difficult to do the anamnesis alone. Thankfully my supervisor and the nurses help a lot in doing the translation.

One of the Bimanese sentence I've learned and has become my favorite sentence so far is "Kalembo Ade". This sentence means "be patient, forbearing, and lenient". This sentence is conveyed from a doctor to his/her patient, a seller to his/her buyer, and in many other occasions. Somehow I think it is a very nice way to show empathy and care to others who are having difficulties. 

Difficulties just like the ones I'm having in my first week here. Adapting to the new working place, meeting new people, learning new streets, moving into my new home, and bearing my homesickness all at once were honestly very tiring. So I keep this sentence in my heart and tell myself "Kalembo Ade". A little adjustment here and there to my new life here, and I know I will be fine. To my family and friends whom I left in Jakarta, I would also like to say to you "Kalembo Ade". Wish me luck here. See you when I see you!

Intership GP team Assigned to Bima and Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara