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Health authorities ready to safeguard health of poll workers
National and local health authorities are gearing up preparations to ensure poll workers stay healthy throughout election day on Feb. 14, ranging from opening Puskesmas for 24 hours to readying thousands of health first responders.
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A community health center (Puskesmas) worker administers multivitamins to a General Elections Commission (KPU) official at Pramuka Island in Thousand Islands regency, Jakarta on Feb. 11, 2024. Health authorities are gearing up by checking the health condition of election officials and poll administrators ahead of the 2024 general election on Feb. 14. (Antara/Bayu Pratama S)
The Health Ministry is preparing thousands of first responders and extending health centers’ operational hours during election day on Wednesday and during the vote count in an effort to avoid a repetition of the high death toll among poll workers in the previous election.
Wednesday will be voting day for nearly 205 million citizens, when voters will choose their preferred presidential, as well as national and regional legislative, candidates.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has recruited 5.7 million local poll administrators (KPPS) to work in 820,000 polling stations across the country. Each polling station is expected to prepare, distribute and count thousands of ballot papers throughout the day.
“The success of the elections [relies] on all poll administrators. If they can do their jobs well, we hope that the voting and vote-counting process will also go well,” Health Ministry Primary Healthcare Director Obrin Parulian said in a podcast on Feb. 5.
“They need to be healthy before, during and after [election day],” he continued.
The ministry has published a circular, detailing measures to ensure the country’s health infrastructure is ready to assist poll workers throughout the polling day. The efforts include extending the operational hours of community health centers (Puskesmas) to 24 hours and fitting them with psychological counseling services.
“We’ll [make sure] that all facilities are ready. Puskesmas and hospitals will also be ready to provide services throughout the elections,” Obril said.
