She was a health worker in charge of handling COVID-19 patients at the Gunung Jati Regional General Hospital in Cirebon before she succumbed to the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2.
Her husband, Yulian Teguh Setiawan, was pensive for a moment upon finding her name inscribed on the monument dedicated to people who fought to contain the spread of COVID-19.
To Setiawan and Rohaetin's children, the monument will also serve as a reminder of her fight.
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He recalled the time when Rohaetin was on duty and handling COVID-19 patients, even though she was pregnant with their third child.
Even when the due date was only a few days away, Rohaetin was still helping her coworkers treat COVID-19 patients, he said.
In the last days of her life, Rohaetin seemed enthusiastic to help her friends, he added.
"At that time, many of her friends were sick. But, on the other hand, she got sick (while she) was pregnant. She always thought of friends who needed her strength," Setiawan reminisced.
When the time for delivery eventually came, Rohaetin was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. A week later, she drew her last breath.
Her death inflicted great sorrow on Setiawan and their children. He was utterly devastated.
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He said he was in deep despair thinking his wife did not get to see and raise their third child and the child would not feel the embrace of her mother.
Yet, Setiawan said he realized that his wife's departure was fate willed by God, and he has been trying to accept it.
"If I don't accept it, I feel sorry for the children. They need a parent figure. I have to keep my chin up. I have to fight," he said.
One day, Setiawan said, he will take his third child to the monument that honors the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic and tell him all about his mother's struggle and sacrifice during the pandemic.
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He said he had promised himself to take the children to the monument once they hit their teens.
He said he wants his children to be proud of their mother, who fought and sacrificed her life to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like Rohaetin's name, every name engraved on the monument bears the memories and the efforts of people who fought against the virus outbreak that took many lives and affected many aspects of people's lives.
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In memoriam
The West Java provincial government built the COVID-19 Pandemic Heroes Struggle Monument to honor the people who lost their lives in efforts to surmount the pandemic. It is also meant to serve as a reminder to everyone about the pandemic that robbed many people of their lives, forcing everyone to make adjustments in many ways.
"So, there are two points (for the construction of the monument). One is as a tribute to the dedication, the second is as a place of reflection for us that COVID-19 must be resolved together by all of us by maintaining (adherence to) health protocols, taking care of ourselves, taking care of our families, protecting the environment so we can stay healthy," head of the West Java Housing and Settlement Office, Boy Iman Nugraha, said.
West Java culturalist Aat Soeratin said that the monument, which is scheduled to be inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on Heroes' Day on November 10, 2021, is also a symbol of civilization.
We could look back at history by looking at the monument, Soeratin said.
"Why was it built? Because there were so many health workers who died. Why did they die? Because there was a pandemic. We understand that during the way, there are disasters, blessings, which we must honor so that our journey ahead is better," he remarked.
Soeratin described the creation of the monument—as a way to honor the service of health workers, state civil servants, and health volunteers during the pandemic—as an extraordinary move.
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"It's (in) our etiquette/ethics to respect those who died, who sacrificed their lives for our sake. It's something common that should actually be revealed. Hopefully, this sign of civilization will then narrate (the circumstances of) why this monument was built," he added.
Cultural observer and lecturer at the Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Bandung Indonesia University of Education, Dian Hendrayana, said that the monument to honor the struggle of the COVID-19 pandemic heroes was proof that we have not forgotten the sacrifices of health workers.
Nowadays, people often forget about the past because they are too excited to walk toward the future, he said. The painstaking processes and struggles in the past are neglected a lot of times, he noted. And yet, the future is built from the past, he pointed out.
The monument could remind us of our brothers and sisters who died as martyrs in the war against COVID-19, he said.
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The monument bears witness to West Java's raging war against the pandemic, which has claimed many lives and aroused a plethora of difficulties, he opined.
From the government first announced the first infection in March 2020 till November 8, 2021, a total of 4,248,409 COVID-19 cases and 143,557 deaths have been recorded in Indonesia.
From the beginning of the pandemic until now, health workers, state civil servants, and volunteers have continued their battle to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact.
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Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
