Health Ministry pushes for equitable healthcare across Indonesia

The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) is pushing for healthcare equity across all regions of Indonesia, especially in Papua, to improve medical services for the community. Director of Referral Health Service Facilities at Kemenkes, Ghotama Airlangga, stated in Wamena on Thursday that healthcare services should be evenly distributed throughout the country, from Sabang to Merauke. “The Ministry of Health’s future programme is to provide equitable healthcare across the entire country, particularly in Papua, which is now divided into six provinces,” he said. To ensure healthcare services reach all parts of Indonesia, his office is facilitating cooperation between all regional general hospitals (RSUD) in the Papua Highlands and major hospitals in Indonesia. This collaboration covers the treatment of cancer, heart disease, stroke, uronephrology, maternal and child health (KIA), tuberculosis (TBC), emerging infectious diseases (PIE), diabetes mellitus, gastrohepatology, mental health, and eye conditions. “We hope that in the future, healthcare services for treating heart disease, stroke, or other serious illnesses will no longer require patients to be sent outside the Papua Highlands, but can be managed here,” he added. He explained that the healthcare equity programme is being implemented through a mentorship method, supporting health workers in the Papua Highlands so they are capable of handling chronic diseases. “We are very grateful that this mentorship programme has been well received by the Governor of Papua Highlands, so that healthcare services in the region will become better and more advanced in the future,” he said. He added that eight RSUDs in the Papua Highlands will have their accreditation upgraded from class D to class C to encourage more optimal healthcare delivery. “A class C hospital generally serves as a referral centre from community health centres. This facility provides more comprehensive specialist medical services, particularly in four basic specialities: internal medicine including cardiology, paediatrics, surgery, and obstetrics and gynaecology,” he stated.