"In my opinion, we need to increase the number and quality of first-level health facilities, community health centers (puskesmas) as the spearhead of health services, both curative health services and community health empowerment services," Amin said during a web seminar on Indonesian Health Resilience and Independence, held by the board of trustees of the University of Indonesia on Thursday.
As the health facility closest to the community, the puskesmas must position itself as the goalkeeper or gatekeeper of public health, he added.
"Placing the function of the first-level health facilities as gatekeepers at the grassroots level is the key to controlling public health, which will reduce health costs nationally," he explained.
Puskesmas must expand their function when it comes to providing health education and raising awareness among the public, especially for reducing the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (PTM), which can be prevented by implementing a healthy and clean lifestyle, he stressed.
"In a large country that has a health insurance-based national health insurance (JKN) system, the optimal service of the first-level health facilities is a must," the Vice President remarked.
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The limited number of puskesmas in all regions is proving a challenge to providing education on healthy living to the public, as part of efforts to promote health and preventive services, he noted.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, the number of puskesmas currently stands at 10,314.
This figure is far from ideal considering the number of people entitled to health services, the Vice President said.
"The limited number of existing health centers, with the number of patients that need to be served, causes the puskesmas to focus more on curative services, so they do not focus on promotive and preventive services," he added. (INE)
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Translator: Fransiska N, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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