UNAIR NEWS –聽Twelve days after the 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook Mamuju and Majene on Friday morning, January 15, 2021.聽The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) extended the emergency response period by two weeks until Thursday, February 11, 2021.
Based on information from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), around 35 aftershocks occurred until Monday, January 25, 2021, which have affected the victims, especially children.聽To ensure the psychological condition of the children in the evacuation, a team of volunteers at Ksatria Airlangga Floating Hospital (RSTKA) conducted a trauma聽healing聽which was carried out since Monday (25/01/21) in Salutambung Village.
Teguh Wahyu Utomo, one of the volunteers, said that trauma聽healing聽activities were聽carried out in the evacuation areas of Salutambung Village, Malunda Sub-district.聽The activity was carried out there based on a recommendation from the Salutambung Puskesmas because there were 60 families who did not want to come down from the hill.
The trauma-聽healing聽activity聽which was carried out in the 5 x 5 meter tent belonging to the Pratama Hospital was started by giving聽fun activity聽to 23 children.聽It was聽given by Afin Murtiningsih S.Psi.聽 as an initial assessment of the psychological trauma experienced by children.
“After the聽ice breaking activity, Afin gave certain suggestion together by tapping their friend’s shoulder on the right while saying words of reinforcement.聽Such as ‘聽Hi, friends.聽We must be patient, grateful, and cheerful聽, 鈥漵aid the graduate of聽聽International Relations聽on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
After giving suggestion, Teguh began to carry out an initial trauma assessment to find out whether the children were traumatized so that further action can be made.
In assessing the children’s condition, the motivational trainer at MEP Training Center asked the children to write. However, because there were many toddlers, they were asked to draw instead. The children were instructed to draw what they would do after they are allowed to return to their homes.
“If they don’t want to draw, even though they can draw, chances are that he is afraid to go home or traumatic of the earthquake.聽If they are willing to draw, I see the result and I ask them why they drew it.聽If what is depicted is unnatural things, then I will聽follow up聽with questions to assess how his mental state is, “he said.
The result, he continued, showed that everyone wanted to draw and what were drawn were normal things, for example, drawing children playing at home, oranges, bicycles, and so on.聽During聽follow-up, children generally want to return to playing at home and are not afraid to return home.
Apart from being carried out with the children, the trauma-healing activity was also carried out with their parents.聽But for the parents, the assessment was carried out by having conversation about their condition, while looking at facial expressions and behavior.聽The assessment was carried out from tent to tent, but not all of them, only聽sampling from families who were thought unwilling to go down the hill.
With these activities, Teguh hoped that the children will be happy and excited when they have returned to their homes. With such mood, they will be free from mental stress due to an earthquake.
“We hope the authorities lift the emergency status according to the appropriate circumstances. If the emergency condition is lifted, the children can return to normal life in their respective homes. It will be even better if their respective houses have been repaired, “he concluded. (*)
Author: Asthesia Dhea Cantika
Editor : Binti Q. Masruroh
