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Prabowo’s free birthday check-ups leave public cold
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Oral health: A medical worker examines the teeth of a local resident during a free health check at Mergangsan community health center in Yogyakarta on Feb. 11, 2025. (Antara/Hendra Nurdiyansyah)
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resident Prabowo Subianto’s free birthday health screening program has seen low participation nationwide one month after its official launch on Feb. 10, raising questions about its target of reaching 100 million people by the end of the year.
The program, which has been made available to children up to 6 years old and adults over 18, aims to improve both health care and health awareness, as official data reveal that many of the country’s 280 million people have never had a basic health check-up.
According to the 2023 Indonesia Health Survey, nearly 40 percent of the population has never been screened for noncommunicable diseases (NCD) such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, which are the leading causes of death in the country. The program will also check for specific diseases and health conditions based on the beneficiary’s age and gender.
To gain access to the program, citizens must register through health service app Satu Sehat Mobile and activate their National Health Insurance membership at least one month before their birthday. They may then go to community health centers (Puskesmas) or government-partnered clinics for the birthday screenings.
Health authorities in regions including North Sumatra, Palembang, South Sulawesi and Bali have been promoting the program through puskesmas employees and social media, yet public enthusiasm remains low, with some citing the complicated registration process as a reason they are not interested in participating in the program.
Read also: Indonesia kicks off $183 million free health screening
Sophia Qadarsih, the head of the Jongaya Puskesmas in Makassar in South Sulawesi, said only 52 people had signed up for the check-up program since its launch last month. In contrast, the health facility had, in February alone, served over 1,800 people through other programs that also included medical check-ups.
