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n the first public debate following the poll body’s announcement of the official Jakarta gubernatorial candidates, four hopefuls vowed to spend more to improve health services for Jakartans.

The debate was held by the University of Indonesia’s (UI) school of medicine in Salemba, Central Jakarta, on Monday. The university invited all of the six candidates, but only four of them joined the debate.

The pairs of Fauzi Bowo-Nachrowi Ramli and Alex Noerdin-Nono Sampono turned down the offer to participate in the debate.

The panel, which consisted of two medical professors and a doctor, challenged the candidates to raise the amount of funds allocated for healthcare, as the Jakarta administration has only earmarked less than 7 percent of its local budgets worth Rp 36.02 trillion (US$3.89 billion) to the health sector. The 2005 Health Law, meanwhile, stipulates that the figure should be 10 percent.

The four pairs of candidates agreed with the panelists, saying that it was necessary to raise healthcare spending to better serve the citizens, especially the poor.

Hidayat Nur Wahid, who is backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said that he would increase the funds allocated for medical services for poor people to Rp 1 billion from the current allocation of Rp 600 million if he were elected as governor.

Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, a running mate of Surakarta Mayor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, also pledged to increase funds allotted for healthcare. He said that he would use the extra funds to build so-called “superblocks”, which were low-cost apartments that were integrated with community health centers.

“The main problem for the poor relating to healthcare issues is the fact that they do not have the access to health centers. We expect this concept is able to make citizens healthier.”

Independent candidate Faisal Basri pledged to increase the funds up to 15 percent if it was necessary to do so, and promised to improve the welfare of doctors working in Jakarta’s health community centers, whose monthly salaries stand as low as Rp 1.8 million.

While the increase is indeed necessary, Firman Lubis, a professor of public health at UI who acted as panelist in the debate, said that the candidates should also focus on reforming the healthcare system in Jakarta.

“The challenge now for a governor is how he can build a decent healthcare system that can promote a healthy life among Jakartans. No matter how much the healthcare fund allotted by a governor, it
will never be enough if ill people continue to flock to the hospital,” he said.

Another panelist, Fachmi Idris, a former chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), argued that the candidates’ healthcare programs should be reviewed carefully as healthcare issues had been frequently utilized by candidates as a political weapon to attract voters in past elections.

Meanwhile, incumbent candidate Fauzi Bowo on Monday received an award from the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) for his anti-tobacco efforts.

The governor said in his speech that he would regulate cigarette advertisements on Jakarta’s streets, though he stopped short of saying if he would ban or limit them.

In the debate, Faisal said that he aimed to reduce the number of smokers in Jakarta by applying strict rules for cigarette companies to air their advertisements.

“There should be no cigarette advertisements in public spaces in Jakarta,” he said.

Ahok said that he would install CCTV cameras in all smoking-free spots in Jakarta. “We will punish citizens who are caught [smoking] on camera,” Basuki said. (cor/sat)