International Journal of Indonesian Studies Volume 1, Issue 3 | Page 80

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN STUDIES
SPRING 2016
Figure 1. Map of West Timor (Myers 2011)
Of all the 21 districts of Nusa Tenggara
Timur (NTT) Province, in 2012 TTS
recorded 32.55% (the 3rd highest
proportion) of mothers entering labour
without a trained health practitioner
(such as a doctor or midwife). This was
well above the province’s average of
28.29% (BPS NTT, 2013, pp. 152-155).
These results may be attributed to the
hilly, rural and remote nature of the
district. There may also be a range of
other contributing factors such as the
cultural and traditional mystical belief of
the Dawan people. One such belief lends
credence to the ibu dukun, who act as
faith healers and midwives.
Within Dawan tradition the dukun act as a traditional healer and midwife. With substantial
experience in delivering babies and expertise in traditional natural medicine, the dukun has
traditionally been a medical authority. Communities have turned to these dukun to assist in
the delivery of newborn babies even until more recent times. In situations where
communities have greater difficulty in accessing health facilities and medical staff, the
dukun are more likely to be consulted with. In recent years with various government
interventions, consultation with the dukun has steadily been limited. However, reliance on
dukun remains the most viable option in situations where no other options or health
workers are available. The lack of trained medical workers remains a problem in TTS. Local
village level health clinics are not always staffed and when they are their staff are not always
adequately trained.
Interestingly, interviews with local village communities highlighted a concerning
number of community members who held more faith in the dukun than in some of the
medical staff in village health clinics. According to various correspondents, often midwives,
nurses and directors, despite having completed their education and training may often lack
real practical experience, leading to complications and even death.
Figure 2 below tabulates data relating to maternal and neonatal death through 2010,
2011 and 2012 (BPS NTT, 2013, pp. 152-155). Interestingly, the number of maternal deaths
has dropped since 2010 (46 deaths) to 25 deaths in 2012. However, this has coincided with
an increase in neonatal deaths from 75 in 2010 to 93 in 2012. The proportion of neonatal
deaths attributed to ‘other’ causes has been disturbingly high. This verifies the need for
further investigation and more detailed explanation of the causes of neonatal deaths.
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