Government Provides Care for Heru Baskoro, Son of Proclamation Manuscript Scribe Sayuti Melik, After Falling Ill
The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos), has given special attention to Heru Baskoro (84), the biological son of national hero Sayuti Melik, the scribe of the proclamation of independence manuscript. Heru is now receiving intensive care and temporary housing facilities after experiencing serious health problems upon his return from Canada.
Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf confirmed that his team evacuated Heru and his wife, Treyzia Noviani, to the Pangudi Luhur Integrated Centre (STPL) in Bekasi, West Java. This swift action was taken immediately after the Ministry received a report regarding the family’s health condition and economic situation.
“We immediately sent a team there and have now brought them to the Ministry’s centre in Bekasi. Of course, they will undergo rehabilitation. There will be medical rehabilitation and other forms of rehabilitation that may be needed based on the assessment results,” said the minister, who is familiarly known as Gus Ipul, in Jakarta on Thursday.
According to Ministry data, Heru and his wife had resided in Canada for approximately 21 years as permanent residents. During those two decades, they lived independently until Heru’s health declined drastically due to a severe visual impairment. The extremely high cost of medical treatment abroad depleted most of the family’s savings, forcing them to return to Indonesia in a state of financial hardship. At the STPL Bekasi, the Ministry is ensuring that Heru receives regular medical check-ups and comprehensive social assistance.
The Ministry is currently identifying basic needs, verifying population documents, and tracing family assets. This process serves as the foundation for determining the most appropriate long-term social intervention programme for the son of a national hero. Gus Ipul stressed that this case serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of the accuracy of the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN). The Ministry, along with other relevant agencies, is currently accelerating data consolidation under the direction of President Prabowo Subianto.
“This comes back to the issue of data. That is why data is so important, and for more than a year now, under the direction of President Prabowo, we have been consolidating data,” he asserted. The government is committed to continuing coordination with local governments and social institutions to ensure that the fulfilment of basic needs and the health recovery of Sayuti Melik’s son can proceed optimally and sustainably.