Story of a Toddler in Pamekasan Before Passing Away, Family Cites Financial Barriers

PAMEKASAN, KOMPAS.com - Mohammad Gazal Al Farizki (3), the third child of Ida Saidah (35) and Mustofa (43), passed away after receiving treatment at RSUD Mohammad Noer Pamekasan Hospital in East Java.

Gazal died on Tuesday (22/9/2026) at around 12:30 PM WIB. The family said financial difficulties were one of the obstacles in obtaining medical care for their child.

At their home in Bandaran Village, Tlanakan District, Pamekasan Regency, on Thursday (24/9/2026), Ida and Mustofa recounted the series of treatments their child underwent before his death.

In a 3 x 3 meter room, Ida said she had tried to arrange a BPJS card to receive free healthcare services, but the activation process took time.

"I tried to get BPJS to access free treatment, but it took a long time, while my child was already sick," Ida Saidah said on Thursday (24/9/2026).

Ida explained that when her son first fell ill, he was cared for at home, but Gazal’s condition did not improve.

She then tried taking her son to a midwife and health clinic, but those efforts were unsuccessful.

Finally, Gazal was brought to the Bandaran Community Health Center (Puskesmas) for general care. According to Ida, examination results at that time showed her son’s condition was normal.

"Because the condition was normal, I took him home to avoid high costs. At the Puskesmas, the daily room rate was Rp 300,000, not including medication costs," she said.

While at the health center, Ida tried to raise money for her son’s treatment, spending a total of around Rp 550,000, including laboratory tests outside the Puskesmas.

At the time, Ida admitted she was confused about how to cover medical expenses as Gazal’s father was not fishing, and she was a housewife. Although he initially improved, Gazal’s condition later worsened.

"Because we had no funds, my son was advised to be taken to RSUD Mohammad Noer to receive free 'Biakes Maskin' services," she said.

After one day of treatment at the hospital, Gazal’s condition deteriorated, requiring ICU admission. This situation greatly worried the family.

Soon after, the family was informed that Gazal needed to be referred to RSUD dr Soetomo in Surabaya for a brain CT scan.

The family agreed to the referral hoping Gazal’s condition would improve. However, according to Ida, her son was never taken to Surabaya.