Thursday, October 23, 2008

Staff Housing

We have 82 full-time Indonesian staff at our base in Halmahera. There are about 30 medical workers and 15 medical workers in training. These trainees are in a one-year program where they get the most basic education and practical experience. They are especially able to diagnose tropical infectious diseases, They can set broken bones and stitch up wounds. The training they are getting would be close to a first step EMT. The real blessing is they do an amazing job with those who come to our clinics with injuries or illnesses. The rest of the staff are construction workers, mechanics, agricultural workers, cooks, drivers, security guards, children's workers and secretarial. In addition to these workers we have two in medical school near Jakarta, five in an accredited nursing training, two in dentistry, two mid-wives and a pharmacist. It is a big operation.

The staff are amazing people. We have housed them wherever we could find room on our base. They have stayed seven and eight to a room in some cases. I think they have been fantastic about where they have lived. We did get a recent donation to build staff quarters. These facilities will provide excellent housing for these young people. There will be a wing for men and one for woman. The construction of the staff housing will begin the end of this year.