TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In the living room of a house in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Zakaria was busy choosing a book from the shelf. The 11-year-old sat in his wheelchair, his right knee swollen and wrapped in bandages. Zakaria, who hails from Barabai in Hulu Sungai Tengah Regency, South Kalimantan, suffers from bone cancer.
His mother Masrah took him to the provincial capital, Banjarmasin, to receive medical treatment at the city's Ulin Regional Hospital. For the past two weeks, both had been staying at the Rumahku (My Home) shelter for children with cancer. "We have to go back and forth to the hospital so I'm grateful we have a place to stay here," Masrah said.
At the shelter, five other young patients were staying with their parents. All of them were from lower middle-class families, including Herma Adam and her father Heri Suwarso. Herma suffers from leukemia and has undergone chemotherapy since January 2016.
"I took her to Ulin Hospital on reference from the state hospital at Batulicin in Tanah Bumbu Regency," said Heri, 35. Herma's doctors said she had to receive regular chemotherapy for two years. After six months of medical treatment, Heri said that his daughter's cancer cells had shrunk to only 1.5 percent.
"But the doctor advised us to stay in Banjarmasin for a while until she is much better," Heri said. Heri was hopeful that her daughter would make progress.
At first, the man who worked as a truck driver was worried that they would not be able to stay long in Banjarmasin for Herma's treatment because of the high costs. But a nurse they came across in the Ulin Hospital lobby suggested they stay at the Rumahku shelter. It provides free accommodation for cancer patients from outside Banjarmasin.
Heri took the nurse's advice and moved in January. Not only did they get a place to stay, the shelter also provided free pickup service from and to the hospital, food and some medicine.
"I'm thankful that we can stay here," Heri said. He added that Herma's treatment was paid for by the national health insurance program. (*)
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