Baby healthcare in Jakarta: Jakarta Women and Children Clinic

We're back from Connor's visit to the paed. Today, Mommy had some company in the form of Aunty Melvinder who wanted to check out the paed. It was really great to meet another new mum who knows and understands what I'm going through and I am delighted to have made a friend.


Connor is now 2 months old and it was vaccination time again. Boy, did he ever cry. But he's all zonked out now on his bed. The same thing had happened the last time he had a vaccination. He just slept and slept.

We picked Jakarta Women and Children Clinic (JWCC) for a number of reasons:

• It came recommended by a friend who has a 4-year-old daughter. As this friend of mine is a medical doctor herself, I thought her recommendation came with some credibility.


• It's REAL close to home. The last thing I want is to have my doctor live halfway across the town when my son's ill.


• The doctors there speak fairly good English. This is a plus point in Indonesia as Dear Hubby can only ever communicate in 2 languages - English and Scouse.

On my first visit there, I was impressed by the paed who saw Connor. He was clearly competent and his calm manner reassured this new mum. Trust me... when it's your first time being responsible for a tiny human being who's totally dependent on you, you get freaked out sometimes.

Unfortunately he left JWCC not long after to serve at another hospital. So we switched paed to Dr Lineus. And Dr Lineus was even better! At each check, he will check Connor thoroughly, go through his growth records and he patiently answered all my questions. I didn't have many questions the last time but I had quite a few this time. I do check up on health and baby websites for info each time I have doubts but nothing beats the reassurance of a flesh and blood doctor.

JWCC has 2 sections. The ground floor is allocated for O&G concerns. I can't comment on that bit because I've never used them. The paed floor is upstairs and you have to go up this spiral staircase to reach it. At the top is a safety gate which you have to unlatch and close behind you. This is my only complaint about the place. I really don't like climbing up strange staircases while carrying my baby especially spiral ones.

First-timers will get a baby health book to keep track of his health records and a membership card. You pick up the book at the reception on the paed floor and the card at the ground floor lobby. Bring along any other previous health records you've had of your baby and they'll add it into the JWCC booklet.

JWCC paed floor has:

• a small play area. Good for amusing the little ones while they wait for their turn. I've been to JWCC on weekends and it's absolutely chock-full of little ones playing with the toys there. It also has a tv that's permanently tuned to some kiddie channel.
• a nursing area. Really good as Connor always has impeccably timed his need for milk with the moment we have to see the paed. *sigh*
• a small Mothercare outlet. Surprise! But a really good idea. If you run out of diapers or wipes, you can make a quick purchase here. And if your kiddie decides all his toys are boring, you can buy a new one here. He barfed all over his clothes? No worry.. just pick up another one at the store.

As for the cost of seeing them... lemme see... A paed consultation fee is Rp320,000. You have to pay for vaccinations here and obviously they vary from one vaccine to another. Today Connor had his DPT, Hib 1 and PCV1 jabs plus an oral polio vaccine and it cost Rp1.47 mill.

If you'd like to check them out, the address is:

The Jakarta Women and Children Clinic

Jl Prapanca Raya No. 32A

Jakarta Selatan, 12160 Indonesia.

Tel: +62-(21)-7279 9911

Email: jwcc@cbn.net.id