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JAKARTA (ANTARA) – A lawmaker on Monday urged the Ministry of Health to strengthen public awareness campaigns for various health programs implemented across Indonesia.
“The smooth implementation of these projects requires close cooperation between the central and local governments,” said Chris Dayanti, a member of the ninth committee of the Indian House of Representatives, during a meeting with Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.
Several key issues were discussed at the meeting, including the formulation of regulations under the Health Law No. 17 of 2023 (UU).
Dayanti stressed the need to enhance socialization of programmes, noting that there has been confusion among the public about government health schemes in recent times.
“Cases such as the death of children after vaccination and the arrival of foreign doctors in Indonesia highlight the need for better communication,” she stressed.
“Public awareness campaigns on health programmes need to be stepped up, especially targeting local communities,” Dayanti added.
Minister Sadykin has previously spoken out about concerns about foreign doctors and clarified that their presence is not intended to replace local medical professionals.
“It’s about saving the lives of 300,000 people who suffer strokes, 250,000 people who suffer heart attacks and 6,000 babies who would otherwise die every year in Indonesia,” he explained.
He highlighted the nationwide shortage of specialist doctors, including dentists.
Sadikian added that the distribution of medical staff remains uneven, with 65% of the nine health departments in community health centers in remote areas having vacancies.
He detailed the Saudi Arabian doctors at Adam Malik Hospital in Medan, North Sumatra, who specialize in performing life-saving surgeries on children with congenital heart disease.
Sadykin expressed hope that such collaborations would not only improve patient outcomes, but also accelerate the transfer of cardiovascular and thoracic surgical knowledge to local physicians.
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Translated by: Tri Meilani A, Resinta Sulistiandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
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