The city health agency on Tuesday launched a 24-hour community health center (Puskesmas) in Pedungan subdistrict, South Denpasar, to provide better health services for residents.
The service was launched to support the Bali Mandara Healthcare Program, a free health service scheme, which was implemented at the beginning of this year by the provincial administration.
"This is the second 24-hour Puskesmas operated in the capital after we launched the first one on Jalan Pulau Buru in West Denpasar.
"We hope that by extending the Puskesmas' operating hours, we will be able to provide better services," agency head Putu Sri Armini said.
The 24-hour Puskesmas provide in-patient and emergency services, unlike other Puskesmas that only have out-patient services.
The launching ceremony was presided over by Administrative and Bureaucracy Reform Minister E.E. Mangindaan, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika and Denpasar Mayor Ida Bagus Rai Mantra.
Governor Made Mangku Pastika said he expected that there would be more community health centers extending their operating hours, especially those located in areas far from hospitals.
"This is a breakthrough in our health services. I hope Puskesmas could continue being in the forefront to provide good services for the public," he said.
Puskesmas, established in each subdistrict, usually only operate for six hours from 8 a.m to 2 p.m.
Two out of a total 43 Puskesmas in the capital have extended their operating hours to 12 hours per day.
The Pedungan health center has been operating since April last year, starting with six hours. The health center then lengthened its service to 12 hours per day in June last year.
"With longer operating hours, we expect to be able to provide better services for our patients," said head of Pedungan health center Made Ayu Witriasih. With the improved services, the Pedungan health center provides in-patient facility comprising 10 beds and an emergency room.
The Puskesmas usually treats between 130 and 150 patients per day.
However, the newly launched 24-hour service will only be available in April this year because the Puskesmas still requires several more medical workers.
"We still need one more general practitioner, four more midwives, two nurses and an ambulance driver. Currently, we have a total of 43 medical workers," Witriasih said after the soft opening ceremony.
The Denpasar Agency said that it faced lack of medical workers, especially to work in Puskesmas.
"At present, we have around 500 medical workers and we keep conducting recruitment by cooperating with the Regional Civil Servant Agency *BKD* to cope with the need," said agency head Armini.
She said the health agency would evaluate whether it is necessary to have more Puskesmas operating for 24 hours, as long as it already has an adequate number of medical workers.
