PERKI Supports Enhanced Heart Disease Prevention Efforts

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Central Board of the Indonesian Cardiovascular Specialists Association (PERKI) has voiced its support for strengthened heart disease prevention efforts in order to bring down the number of cases of the illness.

Speaking at a media gathering in Jakarta on Thursday, the Chairman of the PERKI Central Board, Dr Ade Meidian Ambari, Sp.JP, FIHA, said the association’s vision and mission is to reduce the incidence of heart and vascular disease in Indonesia.

At the event, held alongside the 35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Indonesian Heart Association (ASMIHA), he emphasised the importance of educating both the public and health workers to improve their understanding of measures to prevent heart and vascular disease.

“There is primary prevention for those with risk factors — how to ensure they do not develop coronary heart disease — and for those who have already had a stent fitted or a bypass, how to avoid needing another stent,” he said.

“It is our task to provide education, not only to doctors and nurses but also to the wider public,” he added.

In addition, he highlighted the importance of encouraging better communication between patients and doctors in the delivery of cardiac healthcare.

According to him, this is largely related to the level of patients’ trust in the quality of healthcare services within the country.

“I can confidently say that Indonesia has a great many patients. So our doctors have extensive experience. In Singapore, they do not have as many patients as we do. Their only advantage is that they write and publish more, so others know about their work,” he said.

“Meanwhile, our doctors have so many patients that they have no time to write, so in the end people do not know about them,” he added.

He also raised the importance of improving the welfare and protection of health workers as part of efforts to raise the quality of healthcare services.

“We are improving our quality, our service,” he said.

He said PERKI is working with the Ministry of Health, the medical collegiums, and BPJS Kesehatan to strengthen the protection and welfare of doctors.