Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) initiated a health service program for election organizer officials to prevent a large number of fatalities during the 2024 elections.

Chief of KSP Moeldoko stated that 839 officials had died while 951 officials had fallen ill during the 2019-2020 regional elections.

Hence, his side collaborated with election committee stakeholders to establish a new mechanism to prevent similar incidents from occurring, namely by utilizing the national health insurer (BPJS Health) screening services for election officials that reached over nine million people, including personnel from the National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI).

"The 2019 election claimed so many lives. In order to prevent such accidents, the KSP had initiated preventive steps by utilizing health screening services from BPJS Health," he remarked at the Coordination Meeting for the Implementation of BPJS Health Screening Services for 2024 Election Organizing Officials at the Bina Graha Building, Jakarta, on Monday.

Moeldoko stated that the BPJS Health screening service can help to identify election officers with low, medium, and high health risks.

He remarked that officials, with moderate to high health risks, must conduct health screening along with health services as well.

"Officials, who need medical treatment and health care, will be covered entirely by BPJS Health," he emphasized.

As a follow-up, Moeldoko also urged the chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU), the General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), National Police chief, and TNI commander to immediately issue a circular for their ranks in charge of the election to take part in online health screening from BPJS Health.

In addition, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian is expected to issue a circular for regional governments to register election officials, who do not yet have BPJS health as BPJS participants in the Non-Wage Earner (BPU) category.

"BPJS Health must also ensure the readiness of its screening service capacity and prepare guidelines for users," Moeldoko stated.

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Translator: Rangga Pandu A J, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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