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More health workers needed for remote, border areas in N.Sulawesi
People living in remote and border areas as well as on small islands, such as Miangas, in North Sulawesi are still facing poor access to health care services due to a lack of physicians and nurses, a lawmaker has said.
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Health chat -- Health Minister Nila Djuwita F. Moeloek (left) receives input to improve healthcare services in North Sulawesi from a member of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) from North Sulawesi, Stefanus BAN Liow, during a meeting in Jakarta, on Monday. (JP/Lita Aruperes)
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eople living in remote and border areas as well as on small islands, such as Miangas, in North Sulawesi are still facing poor access to health care services due to a lack of physicians and nurses, a lawmaker has said.
To solve the problem, a member of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) from North Sulawesi, Stefanus BAN Liow, urged Health Minister Nila Djuwita F.Moeloek to speed up the preparation of the ministry’s primary healthcare physicians (DLP) program and the accreditation program of community health centers (Puskesmas).
The government was also urged to take tougher measures to solve a shortage of medicine listed on the e-catalogue.
“To improve access to healthcare services, I propose that the Health Ministry accelerates the development of regional hospitals in four regencies, namely East Bolaang Mongondow, North Bolaang Mongondow, South Bolaang Mongondow, Southeast Minahasa and in the city of Manado, to support medical referral services,” said Stefanus.
He made the statement during a work meeting between members of the Council’s Committee III overseeing health and the health minister in Jakarta, on Monday.
Stefanus further explained three regencies, namely Sangihe, Talaud and Sitaro Islands, needed floating hospitals to provide healthcare services to medically underserved residents of the islands.
The lawmaker also asked the minister to follow up on a 2016 Finance Minister regulation on Rp 35 billion (US$2.59 million) worth of special allocation funds in the 2016 Revised State Budget for the Tomohon Regional General Hospital (RSUD) that had not yet been disbursed.
Nila said the ministry would synchronize all proposals in its ongoing programs. “We will adjust them to our Indonesia Health program, the national health insurance (JKN) program and other programs, which aim to strengthen Indonesia’s healthcare services,” she said. (ebf)
