TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Free birthday health screening to begin on Feb. 10
Health screenings on birthdays will be available specifically for children aged up to 6 years and adults over 18. Meanwhile, students aged 7 to 17 will receive screenings at their schools, and this will roll out next July.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A baby is measured before a routine medical check up at an integrated services post (Posyandu) in Banda Aceh, Aceh, on Dec. 8, 2021. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin)
T
he Health Ministry is set to launch a nationwide free health screening program on Feb. 10, allowing citizens to undergo age-specific medical assessments on their birthdays. The launch was announced in a press conference held on Friday.
Health Ministry Director General of Public Health Maria Endang Sumiwi said during the conference that screenings would be implemented in phases to ensure smooth implementation.
Health screenings on birthdays will be available specifically for children aged up to 6 years and adults over 18. Meanwhile, students aged 7 to 17 will receive screenings at their schools, and this will roll out next July.
The general screening for pre-schoolchildren and adults will be available at 10,000 community health centers (Puskesmas) and 15,000 clinics partnered with the state-owned Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan).
The program includes various types of screenings to monitor public health and detect diseases, particularly non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It also aims to encourage people to take proactive steps in checking their health.
“Sometimes, people are afraid to know their health condition and assume they are fine,” Maria said, urging citizens to visit the nearest health facility for a check-up.
Read also: Health checks for all
For newborns over two days old, the screening will include checking thyroid hormone levels, red blood cell enzyme protection, adrenal hormone deficiency, critical congenital heart disease, bile duct abnormalities and growth monitoring.
For toddlers aged 1 to 6 years, assessments will cover growth, development, tuberculosis, hearing, vision, dental health, thalassemia and blood sugar levels.
For adults aged 18 to 59 years and elderly individuals over 60 years, the screening will cover physical activity levels, nutritional status, dental health, blood pressure, blood sugar, vision, hearing, tuberculosis, lung disease, liver condition and risks for stroke, heart disease, kidney function issues, cancer, hepatitis, mental health disorders and sexually transmitted infections.
Adults over 40 years will receive specialized cancer screenings based on gender, including breast and cervical cancer detection for women, and lung and colorectal cancer screening for men. Additionally, geriatric assessments will be included for those over 60 years old.
Citizens can apply for the screening via health service app Satu Sehat Mobile and must activate their National Health Insurance (JKN) membership at least one month before their birthday. At the health facility, they will need to present their ID card, a ticket from the app and complete a registration form. (tha)
