"Not only building hospitals in terms of referral services but also building community health centers (puskesmas) at the first level to strengthen promotive and preventive (measures)," Health Ministry's Secretary General Kunta Wibawa Dasa Nugraha noted in a press release confirmed here on Friday.
According to Nugraha, the plan became the main topic of discussion during the specific working visit of Commission IX at the zero-kilometer point of the new capital Nusantara on Thursday.
"We will also strengthen disease prevention surveillance and health laboratories," he remarked.
The Ministry of Health will build hospitals for all people in the new capital and integrate these hospitals with the ones owned by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police (Polri) and teaching hospitals connected with medicine faculties of universities in Nusantara.
Apart from focusing on preparing the infrastructure, the Health Ministry is also endeavoring to improve the quality of health services and human resources in several supporting regions of the capital.
Currently, the ministry is encouraging the fulfillment of facilities and medical equipment at five puskesmas in the supporting regions through the allocation of the 2022/2023 Physical Special Allocation Fund (DAK).
So far, Sepaku Hospital in North Penajam Paser District and Aji Batara Agung Dewa Sakti Hospital in Kutai Kertanegara District are located the nearest to the Nusantara capital city authority area.
"Currently, those two hospitals do not only serve the community but also workers in the IKN area," Head of the East Kalimantan Health Office Jaya Mualimin stated.
Commission IX of the DPR expects commitment from all work partners in the health sector and local government officials to be able to accelerate the development of healthcare in the new capital city.
"Hopefully, acceleration of the development of health (care) in IKN can run well," Deputy Chairperson of Commission IX Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena remarked.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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