"Uro-nephrology service is very important because the number of liver disease patients in Indonesia is always increasing," acting secretary of the ministry’s Directorate General of Medical Services, Sunarto, said at a press conference held by Kandou Central Hospital, which was accessed online from here on Saturday.
He cited data from the ministry, which showed that up to 2022, as many as six million people had developed chronic kidney failure. Of them, at least 100 thousand underwent hemodialysis, and 2,350 took continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), he added.
Hence, ministry-owned hospitals must offer liver transplant surgeries since the ministry is striving to offer the best medical care for everyone, he said.
"The Health Ministry has realized that this cannot be done alone, thus it is expected that these hospitals give good guidance to fellow ministry-owned hospitals, (as well as) on a regional scale," he added.
He urged the management boards of the hospitals to follow three directives aimed at transforming the medical health system in Indonesia that have been issued by Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.
The first is for hospitals to provide the best services, which are on par with those of their counterparts in neighboring countries, or even in Asia, Sunarti said. The second is for the hospitals to support nine prioritized diseases, he added.
"Means that these hospitals should not become exclusive, but instead inclusive. Supporting, giving proportion, knowledge for neighboring hospitals," he elaborated.
The third is for ministry-owned hospitals to serve as a meaningful platform for research in order to improve the quality of services.
Sunarto then commended Manado Kandou Central Hospital for successfully performing the first liver transplant in the eastern region of Indonesia.
He said he expected the hospital to consistently improve medical services for other types of diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke, among others.
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Translator: Hreeloita DS, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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