"We support the Health Ministry's program for the early anticipation of diseases. For 2023, we have allocated Rp8 trillion of additional funds for screening," BPJS Kesehatan president director Ghufron Mukti said at a BPJS Kesehatan media workshop at Bali Mandara Hospital, here on Wednesday.
According to Mukti, the allocation has been calculated based on the number of cases involving heart and blood vessel disorders in Indonesia.
According to basic health research data, in 2018, the cases of heart and blood vessel diseases increased on an annual basis. The data showed that 15 out of 1,000 people, or about 2,784,064 individuals in Indonesia, suffered from heart disease.
Thus, increasing screening services is expected to add to the financial burden on BPJS Kesehatan in 2023, Mukti said.
For example, hypertension in cancer patients mostly goes undetected, he pointed out. "If the case is found (based on screening), (the patient) has to be treated and needs treatment costs," he explained.
Nevertheless, he emphasized that BPJS Kesehatan's finances are currently relatively healthy, so it can prepare a budget for meeting screening needs.
"BPJS Kesehatan agrees to support health screening in all hospitals," he said.
Earlier, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had assured that BPJS Kesehatan will cover the cost of blood sugar, blood pressure, and hypertension screening in 2023.
"Starting next year, the screenings for diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol will be covered by BPJS Kesehatan," Sadikin said at the commemoration of World Stroke Day 2022 in Tangerang, on Tuesday (October 11).
According to the minister, preventing a disease is cheaper than the cost of curing it. If basic health screening costs are covered by the government, then it will contribute to a better quality of life, he added.
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Translator: Andi F, Kenzu T
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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