Help Indigenous Papua Women Access Safe Childbirth

The Angel Hiromi clinic in Papua serves indigenous and historically disenfranchised women of color who are at a greater risk for higher morbidity and mortality in pregnancy and childbirth. 

For the first months of the pandemic, PPE/hazmat suits were not available at all for the Papuan staff. To remain open, the team wore heavy plastic rain suits in the equatorial heat. Thanks to a grant from GlobalGiving, we’ve been able to send stock of PPE to the Hiromi Angel clinic.

In 2020, about 2-6 laboring moms per month were transported from Hiromi Angel to a public hospital for childbirth due to reactive COVID-19 rapid tests. These mothers suffered considerable trauma as a hospital birth was not their choice and they are at risk of not receiving culturally appropriate care in public hospitals. Our new isolation room will end this practice and provide a safe place for these women to give birth with our midwives and experience safe, loving, gentle care.

Due to the significant need in Papua, we will be building an ISOLATION BIRTH ROOM for women who are Covid-19 positive to safely deliver their babies. We will be breaking ground on this project in early 2021. Thanks to all our donors to the Papua project for helping to make this possible.

Four of our midwives in Papua contracted the virus, and sadly our most senior midwife, Farida Salman, died. Executive Director Rachel Monoach and her husband Ronald lost their uncles, Pastor Marcos and Pastor Erwan. Rachel’s mother and Auntie Ruth were still recovering from the virus when two more family members passed. During this time, Rachel and Ronald went above the call of duty and adopted a newborn baby abandoned at our clinic by a 13-year-old girl. They named their baby girl Rejoice Hiromi.

Despite their losses, our team in Papua has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to serve patients and keep the clinic open 24/7. They have shown tremendous courage, perseverance and grace. To ensure patients there continue to receive the best care possible from Bumi Sehat, staff have created socially distant and safe environments for childbirth classes, prenatal yoga and acupuncture.

Construction has finished on new staff housing quarters and medical supply storage which are now complete.