Jakarta – The Free Health Check (CKG) program launched by the government for the past two months has been utilized by millions of citizens throughout Indonesia. Health checks such as blood pressure, blood sugar, dental health, and mental health can now be accessed free of charge at community health centers.
“On a national scale, as of April 10, 1.8 million people have registered. Of that total, 1.5 million people have come throughout Indonesia, served by 37 provinces, 9,001 community health centers throughout Indonesia,” said Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono.
Dante explained the importance of early detection. “If there is already a narrowing of the blood vessels in the heart, it can be identified so that it does not become a heart attack, no need for catheterization, stent installation. If there is an early examination for stroke symptoms, it can be treated without having a stroke,” he said.
He also added that early examination can prevent dialysis in kidney patients, which he said will greatly affect a person’s quality of life.
Dante assessed that this program not only provides direct benefits, but will also reduce national health costs in the future.
“These early stage examinations have only had an impact on reducing health costs in the future. Maybe now the health centers are busy, but later the BPJS queues at hospitals for severe symptoms will be fewer,” he explained.
Head of the Ministry of Health’s Communication and Public Information Bureau, Aji Muhawarman, said that the high level of public participation shows that awareness of the importance of health is increasing.
“In more than a month, the number of participants who have utilized the free health check service has exceeded one million. We are optimistic that the target of 280 million Indonesians to undergo this health check can be achieved,” he said.
He explained that initial data showed that 25.6 percent of participants had above normal blood pressure, 30.5 percent were overweight, and 50.8 percent had tooth decay.
Meanwhile, Director General of Public Health Maria Endang Sumiwi revealed that there are still many quotas that have not been utilized. “Currently we still have 40 thousand per day, and with 10 thousand health centers we should be able to serve up to 300 thousand per day,” he said.
Endang added that most CKG participants are adult women. “We see several studies that the higher the access to rights, including health rights, the higher the health and well-being of women,” she said.