WONCA NEWS
F E A T U R E D
D O C T O R
ISTI ILMIATI FUJIATI
FEATURED DOCTOR
WONCA CONFERENCE CHAIR
INDONESIA Isti Fujiati is chairwoman of the Host Organizing Committee for The Wonca Asia Pacific Regional Conference coming up in Bali, on December 8-10, 2022. 1. WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? I am currently a lecturer at the Community Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara in Medan, about a 45-minute flight from Penang, Malaysia. In addition, I am also the Chairwoman of the Indonesian Association of Family Physicians (IAFP), to which I was elected in December last year, after the passing of the previous IAFP Chair, Dr Yulherina, from Covid-19. As the new Chair of the IAFP, our focus is to develop a strategic three-year plan for IAFP aligned with the community needs. The Indonesian Ministry of Health is currently carrying out a Health transformation based on six pillars, including a Primary Health Care Transformation Pillar focused on preventing stunting and non-communicable diseases. Now, it is a good time for changes. With the Universal Health Insurance financing system, quality primary services are crucial. In addition, we also need to make quick preparations to welcome all WONCA members at the Asia Pacific Region Conference 2022 in Bali this coming December. With a deep longing to meet and share face to face, after more than two years, Bali will be a beautiful place to engage. We invite all WONCA members to come to Bali to share their visions and experiences for family medicine and primary care after the Covid-19 pandemic.
2. TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A FAMILY DOCTOR? I completed my Medical Education in 1992 and mostly practised as a private doctor in companies and clinics before undertaking a 3-year compulsory undergraduate work at a rural community health centre called Puskesmas. While working there, many questions arose regarding clinics. I encountered undifferentiated cases that were very diverse from what I studied in medical school. I learned a lot about clinical practice, but I was not exposed to simple problems that turned out to be very complex with a meaningful impact on families and the surrounding community. One of them was the case of a woman with tuberculosis who was working part-time as a nanny for her husband's employer.
PAGE 29
