UNAIR NEWS – Starting from the concerns about condition of leprosy patients in Indonesia and trying to prevent the occurrence of physical disability, Universitas Airlangga students offer a new method to prevent the occurrence of disability in leprosy patients through a game called “Monopoly Edukatif Leprosy Based Health” or abbreviated as Motif Kita Sehat.

The educative game was applied to the leprosy patients at Desa Sumber Glagah, Mojokerto. The games contained information about self-care treatment of leprosy. And even, the creator team formed the cadres for conducting the program sustainably.

That statement was explained by Lidya Victorya Pandiangan (Faculty of Political and Social Sciences/2013), as a leader of the team and the other members are Widya Reghsa Febriyantoro (Faculty of Political and Social Sciences/2013), Magita Novita Sari (Faculty of Nursing/2013), M. Habib Hidayatulloh (FKM, 2014) and Moch. Yazid Abdul Zalalil Amin (Faculty of Vocational Studies, 2014).

The Idea was under supervision of Dr. Phil, Toetik Koesbardiati., and has been written on research proposal Student Creativity Program of Community Service (PKMM) and got funding by Kemenristekdikti 2017.

Lidya Victorya said that leprosy was the multi-perspective disease. Leprosy problems could not be solved if only by the medical perspective. Moreover, impact of the disease lead to disability and even worse community discrimination. Most people thought about that leprosy was the incurable disease and as the “God’s curse”.

The negative stigma of leprosy patient or even the former patient that have been suffered, who being shunned as outcasts.  The untreated leprosy patient has higher risk to get permanent nerve damage. Mostly often the leprosy patient realized the disease after they got damage skin.

“In fact, the leprosy patient is curable without permanent nerve damage. The key is quick and right treatment,”Lidya said

The idea of the team was in line with government target in treating the leprosy disease. Today, the leprosy patient with no serious damage is about 95%. In 2014, the number leprosy patient with no serious was about 80% (KEMENKES, 2015) (data from Ministry of health Republic of Indonesia, 2015).

Motif Kita Sehat game is addressed for the all age leprosy patient in RT 01 until RT 03 of Desa Sumber Glagah, Mojokerto regency. The kind of monopoly is the same as regular monopoly. The different is only in equipment material, content and little change in rules.

For this game, the creators used banner with 2 meter for game board, consisted of 20 squares includes start point, to enter the hospital (to get healthy food and drinks), free treatment (free to choose the next destination), hospital (must rolling the dice with the same number), challenges, let’s tell a story, and the other 14 squares consisted of knowledge about leprosy.

In the knowledge squares divided into three levels. The first one is knowledge about leprosy, secondly, about behavior and self-care and the third is about Multi Drug Therapy (MDT). This game played by five leprosy patient and a person as a mediator.

In the end of game, there would be reward for those who answer correctly the question, challenge and dare to tell the story the most. The rewards are food packages, home appliances and clothing.

Unair team also beautify the appearance in the game “Motif Kita Sehat” and make it easy to carry everywhere. In this package, there is a banner size 2 meters for game board, 5 pieces of people, 2 pieces of dice, guidebook  self-care of  leprosy, play procedures and CDs that contain visualization of how to play and self-care.

The creators also formed cadre that aims to make this program can be conducted continuously. The cadres are 5 people led by Yatno (a young man who cares for leprosy / P3K) and consists of Mr.Simo, Mrs. Endang, Mrs. Dewi and Bu Ning War. Routine activities conducted by the cadres are self-care leprosy counseling, both in Sumber desa Glagah and others village.

“By this program, hopefully can help government to decrease the number of leprosy patient without nerve damage, and reduce the discrimination to those with leprosy,” Lidya said

Editor: Bambang Bes