Community perception and experience of health services in the midst of an earthquake and COVID-19 pandemic: A phenomenological study

Abstract

Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire with various disasters occurring frequently and causing tremendous impacts. Recently, Mamuju Regency in West Sulawesi was hit by an earthquake during the COVID-19 pandemic, making primary health care (PHC) a major community health care provider facing several issues. This study aims to explore the challenges and supporting factors of the recovery of PHC after the earthquake during the COVID-19 pandemic using a descriptive phenomenology grounded in Edmund Husserl's philosophy. The Bamboo PHC (Puskesmas Bambu) was selected as the only PHC in Mamuju which was most affected by the earthquake. A focus group discussion method was conducted by involving 15 participants selected using purposive sampling and divided into three groups (health workers, health cadres, and community members). As a result, the community members acknowledged that the Bamboo PHC services programs in general were favorable before the pandemic, there were several basic and superior health service programs that the community felt were valuable. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation and the use of healthcare facilities decreased. Coupled with the occurrence of natural disasters in vulnerable areas, it is increasingly causing fatalities. Therefore, disaster preparedness and community empowerment are the key to successful disaster management.