Not everybody in Indonesia can obtain proper healthcare in life or a mobil jenazah (similar to a hearse, but often just a repurposed ambulance) to transport them after death, either due to geographical and/or financial limitations.
Not everybody owns a car, either, and this viral Instagram post shows the desperate measures some people will take to both seek medical treatment and transport the dead in such circumstances.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BllJ4UnH-QY/?utm_source=ig_embed
The first slide shows several traffic police officers in the East Tanjung Jabung Regency of Jambi stopping a motorcycle carrying three people. Upon closer inspection, the person sitting between the driver and rear passenger appears to be limp. It turned out that he was already deceased and was being transported to his house for a wake.
“At the time, the departed was sick when his family transported him on a motorcycle from Pematang Rahim Village to his house in Kampung Laut, Kuala Jambi District. But, on the way, the departed passed away,” East Tanjung Jabung Traffic Police Chief Tesmirizal told Kompas yesterday, confirming the viral post.
Tesmirizal added that the incident took place at around 11am yesterday and that the deceased was identified as H Kade, though details about his sickness was not revealed.
The second slide shows that, instead of giving the motorcyclist a ticket, the police took H Kade and transported him some 20 km to his final destination on their pickup truck, earning them widespread praise online for the humane and sympathetic way they approached the situation.
That said, some commenters on the viral post said this incident should serve as a reminder to the government of how important free or cheap medical transportation is in Indonesia, particularly for the poor.
