Batam – The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), has reaffirmed its commitment to reaching all segments of society through the expanded Free Health Check Program, which now extends to remote areas across Indonesia.
Head of the Batam City Health Department, Didi Kusmaryadi, stated that preparations for this service are underway.
“There is indeed a plan, we will reach out to communities on the islands. However, it has not yet been implemented as we are still working on getting the community more enthusiastic,” said Didi.
This proactive approach is being taken to ensure that all citizens, including those in remote hinterland areas, can access free early disease detection services.
The challenge faced by the Batam City Government is reaching hundreds of small islands within the city, such as in the Belakangpadang Subdistrict, Galang Island, and Bulang Island.
Didi assured that they will continue to serve residents wishing to use the CKG service without any complicated procedures.
“We’ll keep it simple and continue to serve residents who want to check their health. There is no special form,” said Didi.
For the outreach service, the Health Department will adjust to the number of people willing to participate.
“We will prepare logistics and staff based on the number of residents gathered,” added Didi.
The CKG program is an effort by the Health Department to encourage early detection of non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
“As of April 14, 2025, only 1,687 people have participated out of 2,247 registrants. Our target for CKG in Batam is 1,276,930 people,” said Didi.
Didi hopes that with the expanded outreach and direct approach to the community, participation rates will increase, especially in areas with limited access to healthcare.
Previously, Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono stated that 1.5 million people had participated in the Free Health Check Program. This data was based on the number of participants who had been examined by April 10.
“As of April 10, 1.8 million people had registered. Of that number, 1.5 million have already come in for a check-up,” said Dante.
The service has been provided in 37 provinces and 9,001 puskesmas (community health centers) across Indonesia. According to Dante, this program is crucial because it allows for early detection of diseases.
“By offering free health checks, we can identify diseases before they occur,” he explained.
