Life is Healthy

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang | Tue, 05/04/2010 4:56 PM |

First Lady Kristiani Yudhoyono told all regional administrations to learn from Tangerang municipality, which is now prioritizing the development of health infrastructure to improve the quality of its human resources.

“We all know that the basic development of society rests on health," Ani said in her inauguration speech of 120 newly built integrated health posts in Kelapa Dua subdistrict, Tangerang municipality on Tuesday.

Also present at the ceremony were a number of Cabinet ministers' wives, Banten deputy governor HM. Masduki, Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim, deputy mayor Arief R Wismansyah and the municipal councilors.

“Tangerang municipality has been able to build more than 100 health posts all at once out of its own budget. This a big achievement. The administration's health policy should be a model of national commitment to health. I am so proud of this,” Ani said.

Wahidin said the administration spent Rp 20 billion from the 2009 budget to build 120 health posts simultaneously.

“We have a total of 1,100 health posts spreading out in every community unit in 13 districts across the municipality. Most of them are in a poor condition. Therefore, in line with the 2009-2014 developmental vision and mission we aim to build 1,000 more health posts,” he said.

The administration also provided Rp 6 million in incentives to each center from the annual budget to support their operations.

Ambon (ANTARA News) - A health services provision program dubbed "Operation Surya Baksara Jaya" will be conducted at seven villages in Ambon July 29-August 3, in conjunction with the international marine event Sail Banda 2010.

"A similar program as part of Sail Banda 2010 will also be conducted in Banda Neira, Central Maluku district at the same time," Sail Banda local committee chairman Cak Saimima said here on Thursday.

He said the health operation activity by using floating hospital would be conducted at Mamala, Morella, Liang, Waai, Tulehu, Passo, and Hutumuri villages on the island of Ambon.

"The Surya Baksara Jaya health operation will be supported by the biggest United States Navy floating hospital USNS MERCY T-AH19," Saimima said.

Technically and aesthetically, the 273-meter long USNS MERCY T-AH19 with 955 medical personnel and doctors is arguably the most sophisticated vessel in its class to assist KRI Dr Soeharso in giving medical services to the people of Maluku.

Saimima said that the so-called Sailing Medical Service (SMS) program would also help the people in the districts of Buru Selatan, West Southeast Maluku (MTB), and Southwest Maluku (MBD) from April to August 2010.

"A health simulation program will be conducted in Ambon, Banda Neira, and MBD district town of Wonreli in Kisar island from July 1 to August 10," Saimima said.

He said naval ships from Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia would be sent to Maluku to support the Surya Baksara Jaya operation in the districts of West Seram, West Southeast Maluku, and Southwest Maluku.

The floating hospital`s operations will be coordinated the health ministry assisted by the Maluku health office and so will be the target areas of the Surya Baksara Jaya operation program.

"We welcome the support from the US, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore in the operation because indirectly they also promote Maluku`s tourism potential and the Sail Banda event," Saimima said.

Antara News, Saturday, March 20, 2010 22:12 WIB

Pontianak (ANTARA News) - The government plans to hasten health improvement development program in remote and border areas to provide the local people with better health care services.

"We will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the health improvement program in remote areas, border areas, and smaller islands," Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said in the West Kalimantan city of Pontianak on Friday.

She said signing of the MoU would be followed up by real action to improve health services for the people living in those areas.

According to the minister, the government had to make every effort to speed up the health improvement program because health access and service in most of the isolated areas in small islands across the country have yet to be effective as being expected.

"Health status in the remote areas is still low while we have limited human resources, funds, infrastructure, and facility," the health minister said.

Meanwhile, West Kalimantan deputy governor Christiandy Sanjaya also shared the minister`s opinion and said it did happen at many areas in the province.

"Geographic condition in West Kalimantan is difficult, public transportation and facility are limited, and health service access is low because of limited number of health personnel," Sanjaya said.

He said allocation of regional budget (APBD) to improve health services in the remote and isolated areas was also low in amount.

"Therefore we hope there is a support from central government," Sanjaya said, explaining that there were five areas in West Kalimantan bordering with Malaysia, namely Entikong in Sanggau district,Nangabadau in Kapuas Hulu district, Aruk in Sambas district, Jagoibabang in Bengkayang district, and Jasa in Sintang district.

He said infectious diseases and the others that can be prevented through immunization still posed serious problem in those five border areas in West Kalimantan.

"At Sajingan clinic in the past three years there were frequent extraordinary cases of measles because many children there missed measles immunization," Sanjaya said.

Antara News, Monday, March 15, 2010 01:25 WIB

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - A pregnant mother and her two children died in Ledengara village, East Nusa Tenggara province, after consuming poisonous fish on Sunday.

According to a local residents Lazarus Gie, Luha Weo, 34, and her kids, Tuka Aju, 9, and Wue Aju, 5, vomitted and lost consciousness before dying.

The poisonous fish that the residents of Ledengara village, Hawu Mehara sub-district, Sabu Raijua regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, call "Kebaddu" was also eaten by 14 other people.

But they could be saved after being rushed to a local public health center. "They remain under paramedical care," Gie said.

Luha Weo, her two children and 14 other residents of Menanga Kare coastal hamlet, Ledengara village, got the fish from two local fishermen, he said.

Luha Weo suddenly got a headache and lost consciousness two hours after eating the "Kebaddu" fish. As a result, she could not help her two children, he said.

Local residents took the ill-fated pregnant mother and her kids to the village public health center but they died there, Lazarus Gie said.

Sabu Raijua policemen have started investigating this case, and brought some of the cooked "Kebaddu" fish to the laboratory for testing, he said.

Tempo Interactive, Tuesday, 09 February, 2010 | 18:10 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Subang: The Subang Health Office has announced that leprosy is now endemic in the area, with patients spread in all sub-districts. “The scale is one per 10.000,” Wawan Setiawan, Subang Health Office chief, told Tempo yesterday.

In Subang’s 35 sub-districts, most of the patients are found in Binong, Tambakdahan, Patokbeusi, Purwadadi, Compreng and Ciasem. Around 130 patients are suffering from the MB type of leprosy and 105 people are suffering from the PB type. “To anticipate more spreading, we have formed a “Leprosy Care” in all areas,” Wawan said.

NANANG SUTISNA

Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 02/05/2010 9:27 PM

The city health agency is gearing up to face a spike in dengue fever attacks as 914 cases have been recorded in two months.

Agency head Dien Emawati said on Friday her agency would provide 20 beds and medical staff in five community health centers, including in Ciracas in East Jakarta, Cempaka Putih in Central Jakarta and Cilincing in North Jakarta.

“We will give priority to health centers that are far from hospitals. The patients won’t need to go to the hospital so we can reduce the burden on hospitals,” she said.

Dien added that doctors and nurses who would be assigned to the health centers would be selected from 313 new medical workers who were recruited last year.

The agency reported that the number of dengue fever cases reached 914 as of Feb. 3 this year, a 25 percent decline from the same period last year.

The first two months of 2009 saw 1,202 cases, with total incidents reaching 18,000.

Tempo Interactive, Friday, 29 January, 2010 | 20:33 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Yogyakarta:The Health Department will test the Health Operation Aid (BOK) program for 300 community health centers (puskesmas) in seven regencies throughout Indonesia this year. Every community health center will get a budget of Rp. 100 million/year out of a total budget of Rp. 30 billion.

“The test will be conducted in seven regions, which are Java-Bali, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara and Papua,” said Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih at the dialogue on Health Development Priorities for 2010-2014 in Kepatihan on Friday,.

Present at the event were State Minister for National Development Planning/Chairperson of the National Development Planning, Armida S. Alisjahbana, Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X and Yogyakarta Mayor Herry Zudianto.

The BOK distribution, according to Endang, is aimed at improving the puskesmas’ performance, both in promoting and preventing health issues. The service includes family planning, nutrition and funding for village health posts, which has become community-based health initiatives.

“BOK is intended to support the Minimum Standard Services (SPM) in the process of speeding up the Millenium Development Goal’s target,” said Endang.

Un-tested puskesmas will still be allocated a Rp. 10 million budget per year. Today, there are 8200 puskesmas in all of Indonesia. She plans to allocate Rp. 10 million every month for 8500 puskesmas by 2011.

Besides the BOK distribution, the Heath Department will also increase the government-sponsored community health insurance (Jamkesmas) free membership to the poor.

The Health Department’s public communication chief, Lily Sulistyowati said that the Jamkesmas membership was one of the Health Department ‘s 100 days priority program and will be extended to three new groups, which are the poor victims of disasters, prison inmates and poor people living in public institutions.

‘In order provide health services to those three groups, an agreement has been signed between the Health Minister, the Justice and Rights Minister and the Social Welfare Minister,” said Lily.

BERNADA RURIT