Return Flow of Eid al-Fitr 1447 H at Skouw Melandai PLBN, Health Post Remains on Alert until End of March
Entering H+5 of the return flow for Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah (H), activities of people crossing at the Pos Lintas Batas Negara (PLBN) Skouw under the National Border Management Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BNPP RI) in Papua, Jayapura, have begun to show a downward trend.
Nevertheless, the health service post that has been on standby since 14 March 2026 continues to operate fully to ensure the safety and health of crossers in the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border area until 30 March 2026.
Based on observations by officers, the peak surge of crossers at PLBN Skouw occurred on 19 to 20 March 2026.
Entering the Eid return flow period, public mobility at PLBN Skouw is gradually returning to normal, but the readiness of the health service post is still maintained as a precautionary measure.
During the operational period of the post, all health services ran smoothly without any emergency cases requiring referral to further health facilities.
As of 26 March 2026, 48 visits to the health post were recorded, with an average of four patients per day over 13 days of operation.
In terms of the types of complaints, acute respiratory tract infections (ISPA) were the most dominant cases.
The increase in cases is estimated to be due to the influence of humid weather and the high mobility of crossers.
In addition to ISPA, officers also handled complaints of headaches due to fatigue and dehydration, fever requiring observation, and non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia.
Examination results showed that all crossers had body temperatures below the fever threshold.
Head of PLBN Skouw, Ni Luh Puspa Jayaningsih, emphasised that the health post plays a strategic role in maintaining health security in the border area, especially during the Eid homecoming and return flow momentum.
“The health post not only serves the public but also serves as an early detection system for potential disease risks entering from outside the region,” she said in a written statement received by Kompas.com on Sunday (29/3/2026).
Ni Luh stated that the presence of the health post not only functions as basic medical services but also as the frontline in the cross-border health vigilance system.