PHMF has supported children with cancer in Indonesia for many years providing funds to pay for their chemotherapy treatment not covered by the national government’s health system BPJS. Recently, PHMF donated special beds for the Paediatrics Intensive Care Unit at RS Dharmais Hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. The PICU is the first facility dedicated for use by children with cancer in Indonesia.

Rumah Sakit Kanker Dharmais is the leading hospital for cancer in Indonesia. However, they do not have a Paediatrics Intensive Care Unit or even High Care Unit (HCU) for children with cancer in life-and-death situations. Currently, the children must use the same Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as adults. This can be very distressing for young children to see adults who are critically ill in the ICU ward.

Sadly, what happens in other hospitals in Indonesia is that if there are 2 children who need ICU care and one of the children has Leukaemia for example, then the other child is given preference for ICU treatment over the child with cancer as cancer cases often involve medical complications. Doctors and nursing staff do not agree with this but there is such a shortage of paediatrics ICU beds that they are forced to choose at times. This unfortunate situation limits a child’s chance to receive the life-saving care they require.

PHMF generous support has helped Yayasan Mari Cintai Kanak Kanak (previously Mary’s Cancer Kiddies) to buy medical equipment for the first PICU/HCU for children with cancer at Rumah Sakit Kanker Dharmais which would bring the facility in line with what PICU/HCU facilities are like in children’s cancer wards in hospitals throughout the world.

YMCKK are grateful for PHMF support to join us in making this project possible for the children who are gravely ill with cancer at Rumah Sakit Kanker Dharmais so they can receive the medical care they urgently need.