Provide Essential Lab Services for Pregnant Women

We told you that it was crucial that Yayasan Bumi Sehat be able to offer vital testing services for pregnant and birthing women and we asked for your help. Our lab didn't have the microscope needed for White Blood Cell (WBC) and STD testing or the reagent needed to check for HIV. We urgently needed more COVID-19 rapid tests because, under Indonesian health regulations, women can't be admitted to our clinic unless they have been tested and have a negative result. 

Thanks to your support, we've now reached our goal and been able to purchase the lab equipment, test reagents and COVID-19 rapid tests that we needed! We can now test each of the almost 500 women that will give birth at our Bali clinic over the coming year. We'll be able to detect STD or HIV infections and make sure those women get started on treatment as soon as possible, that their partners are checked and their families receive counseling and medical advice. We can also prepare protocols to protect the baby and our midwives from possible exposure during birth.

Thanks to a special COVID-19 grant from GlobalGiving, we have also been able to increase our stock of rapid tests to meet demand over the next 6 - 9 months. This means we will never have to turn a woman away because the clinic can't test her for COVID-19, sending her to a hospital that she may not be able to afford, or having to pay for a test at an inflated cost. We've also been able to ensure we have protective gear for our staff, who put their health and families at risk to continue to serve our local community. Now we've got enough gloves, masks and PPE to make sure that our nurses and midwives stay healthy and safe.

With the pandemic having hit the tourist economy in Bali very hard, many people have lost jobs or income and can't pay much for health expenses. Thank you for standing by us while we continue to serve the Bali community regardless of ability to pay.