Set up in 2003 by Mary Binks, an Australian woman then living in Indonesia, today MCK is run by a small group of volunteers based in Jakarta and Hong Kong who raise and manage the provision of funds to cover the cost of medical treatment for children from poor families.
Our goals
To ensure that Indonesian children from financially disadvantaged families have access to the medical treatment they need and to help them go through a difficult time with dignity.
Why is this help needed?
Indonesia has no free public health care system like the National Health System, for example, in the UK. Although there is a government-sponsored insurance system for the poorest in society, it is a complex and time consuming process. As a result many families give up on the system, either because they are afraid that they will subsequently be found ineligible and therefore liable for all medical costs, or else because they cannot afford to pay for treatment during the critical days and weeks during which their insurance scheme applications are considered (insurance is not retroactive). Even for those eligible for assistance, not all types of medicine and treatment are covered. As a consequence many families go into chronic debt and delay or simply stop medical treatment because the financial burden is too great.
Who we help, and how…
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Children with cancer
The core of MCK’s work, since 2003 we have provided financial support for the treatment of hundreds of young cancer patients at two leading children’s cancer hospitals in Jakarta, Indonesia: Dharmais and Cipto hospitals.
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Children with infectious diseases
At the request of Cipto hospital doctors, since 2007 MCK also covers costs of treatment of children with illnesses such as tetanus, HIV, tuberculosis, acute diarrhea and malnutrition.
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Babies in the neo-natal care ward at Cipto hospital
Since 2007, MCK has assisted with treatment costs for hundreds of babies in the unit whose parents were unable to pay their bills. Failure to pay means some babies cannot be taken home and they are abandoned at the hospital.
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Officially Registered
MCK is officially registered as a social welfare organization. Registration number: 011 / BKKKS / Sket-OBH / 04-2012
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