Pregnant women to get free health care

YOGYAKARTA: In a bid to help create a healthier population, the Yogyakarta municipal government plans to waive all fees at health centers in the municipality for pregnant women.

"The details are still being discussed," Yogyakarta Mayor Herry Zudianto said recently, expressing hope the program would be able to start soon.

Herry said that in deciding to adopt this policy, he was inspired by a speech by women's activist Saparinah Sadli during her acceptance of the 2004 Hamengkubuwono Award from Gadjah Mada University at the end of last year.

In her speech, Herry recalled, Saparinah stated that poor nutrition for pregnant women could result in the birth of unhealthy babies.

He said his administration planned to make the municipality a prominent center for education in the country, and would therefore prioritize the education sector.

"But how can we dream of achieving high standards of education if the seeds are unhealthy?" said Herry, adding that this had prompted him to provide free checkups and treatment for pregnant women at health centers in the area. --JP