The impact of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake in West Sumatra on September 30 is still felt by the local people, especially the children. Besides the destruction and loss of life, many families still live in unacceptable conditions in makeshift tents and buildings.

A lack of clean water and poor sanitation are causing respiratory infections, diarrhea, dermatitis and malnutrition.

As a part of its 90-day emergency response, World Vision Indonesia, in cooperation with the Indonesian Pediatrician Association, the Provincial Health Service and Medical Faculty of Andalas University, is providing a free health service through a mobile clinic until the end of 2009.

Yacobus Runtuwene, World Vision’s Program Manager for West Sumatra Earthquake Emergency Response said, “Children suffer the most and are very vulnerable to post-quake diseases. Many children have fallen ill and need this free health service because their parents do not have money to pay for the medication. World Vision hopes this free health service will reduce the suffering of the children and community.”

Marlinda, a 40-year-old mother whose house collapsed during the earthquake, brought her one-month-old child, Hendra, to receive medical treatment at the mobile clinic in Sunur, Padang Pariaman. Following the earthquake, Hendra lived in a makeshift tent which let in a great deal of wind during the night, so his mother took him to live in his grandmother’s house.

“I was very relieved by the free health service. It had been a week that Hendra had a cough and influenza, but he had not gone to the doctor due to the lack of money,” Marlinda said.

 Visni is the mother of an 18-month old baby, Fadli. When she took her sick baby to the village midwife, the medication had already run out and so had her money. So she took the baby to World Vision’s free mobile clinic.

 “We must pay at least 20,000 rupiah (US$2) for a checkup by the midwife. If we went to a physician, we must pay at least 70,000 rupiah (US$7). We don’t have money,” she said.

 The mobile clinic provides service every day to up to 100 patients in the districts of Agam, Padang and Padang Pariaman. The clinic’s physicians were sent from Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta by the Central Committee of the Indonesia Physician Association.

Dr. Igmafridoni, Coordinator of West Sumatra Physician Association, said, “Currently we are serving the most impacted areas (of Western Sumatra). The children and the community are still in need of health service. Their bodies are vulnerable due to the lack of clean sanitation, clean water and good family toilets. There is also a shortage of food.”

Besides supporting the mobile clinic, World Vision Indonesia supports the local community health centres and promotes the breastfeeding and nutrition supply. About 4,000 collapsible water containers, each with a capacity for 15 liters of water, have been distributed in the Sei Sarik and Sikucur villages. World Vision is also preparing 21 toilets and 17 septic tanks for the schools where child-friendly spaces have been established. these are special places where children are encouraged to express their fears, anxieties, anger and other difficult emotions through a range of creative activities including drawing, singing and dancing.