Humans may not have superpowers, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have superheroes in this world. For instance, I wouldn’t doubt that many of Doctor Gamal Albinsaid’s patients consider him a superhero.
You see, nearly 60% of Indonesian residents lack the means to afford health insurance, but this 26-year-old doctor has found a way to provide these residents with healthcare using a unique form of payment. Instead of money, patients simply bring their recyclable garbage. The clinic turns the garbage it into fertilizers and compost, and gets cash from the recyclables.
This Garbage Clinical Insurance (GCI), a micro-insurance program, not only helps those in need of health insurance, it simultaneously addresses the country’s trash problem. In 2010, residents who lived on the coast of Indonesia gathered over 3 million tons of plastic waste. Only about 50%-60% of this is actually collected, which causes various health issues in the city.
“We’re changing people’s perceptions and habits towards garbage,” Albinsaid explained in a video. “I believe if the positives of this problem are made known, it will excite a lot more people into adopting it.”
According to Huffington Post, just 4.5 pounds of plastics will translate to basic healthcare services for two months. GCI is currently working out of five clinics and has helped nearly 3,500 patients pay for healthcare.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty heroic to me. Learn more about GCI and the man behind it in this video below.
Feature image courtesy of Huffington Post / Aman Rochman / Getty Images
