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Public participation crucial in sustaining universal health services
Indonesia is still lacking in doctors, especially medical specialists, and hospitals' readiness to facilitate the public with the JKN program.
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A customer seeks service from an office of the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) in Jakarta. (Courtesy of/www.panduanbpjs.com)
T
he government needs to enforce the mandatory status of the National Health Insurance (JKN) in a bid to maintain public participation in the service and improve health facilities’ readiness as the insurance program sees its premiums rise next month.
“We lack doctors, especially medical specialists, and hospitals are not ready to meet the public’s needs from the JKN program,” University of Indonesia (UI) public health expert Hasbullah Thabrany told The Jakarta Post on Dec. 27.
While shortages in medical supplies are relatively easy to replenish, Hasbullah said, the lack of specialists in Indonesia could potentially hamper the JKN program.
“If we want to be realistic in providing health services for all, we could hire foreign medical specialists to cover current shortages. Offer them maybe five-year contracts while we increase our specialist supply,” he said.
He also urged the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) to be more flexible in its bureaucracy to better serve the public.
“There are many complaints regarding BPJS Kesehatan’s [hospital] reference system. There are also frequent rejections from the agency when a patient demands [particular] treatment,” he said.
Hasbullah’s comment was made in response to research that was carried out by the Health Ministry’s research and development body (Balitbangkes) regarding public accessibility to the JKN program.
