Healthy Ramadan: Baznas Provides Free Healthcare Services to Beneficiaries in Riau Islands

The National Zakat Board (Baznas) through its Healthy Home Baznas (RSB) programme in Riau Islands Province has provided free healthcare services to the public, particularly to Baznas beneficiaries (mustahik) in the region.

The free health checks involving 50 beneficiaries were conducted at the Wan Sri Beni Hall in Riau Islands. The health examinations aimed to monitor the health status of the Riau Islands community and provide information on treatment methods through doctor consultations.

Imdadun Rahmat, Deputy II of Baznas RI, stated that this free healthcare service programme is part of Baznas’s efforts to improve the health of mustahik, particularly in areas with limited access to healthcare facilities.

“We hope that through this activity, the community will become more aware of their health and can take appropriate preventive and treatment measures after receiving direct examinations by doctors,” said Imdadun in a statement on Monday, 16 March.

Additionally, Imdadun sought to ensure that the Riau Islands community truly felt the direct benefits of RSB’s presence in their environment. Thus, those who cannot afford hospital or clinic treatment can receive free examinations from Baznas’s best doctors operating in Riau Islands.

Imdadun added that health is one of the important factors in determining the level of community welfare. Poor health conditions often result in increased financial burdens on families.

“Poor health directly increases spending and reduces productivity, often causing families to fall into poverty, especially if the illness is serious. That is why Baznas is here to prevent all of that,” he explained.

To date, Baznas has 38 Healthy Home Baznas units spread across various regions in Indonesia. Baznas also operates two mobile healthcare services in the form of Maritime Ambulances (vessels), each operating in the Sangihe and Talaud archipelago regions. The presence of these two mobile RSB units represents Baznas’s innovation in reaching communities in remote and coastal areas difficult to access by facilities.

RSB development is part of Baznas’s commitment to improving community welfare, particularly in healthcare. RSB provides various benefits to the community, including vitamin distribution, health education, mentoring, health screenings, mass circumcision, and cataract surgery.

Throughout 2024, a total of 248,331 beneficiaries were served by RSB Baznas.