According to the statement received here on Monday, the test was carried out on Sunday on three facilities: Denpasar's Sumerta Kelod Auxilary Health Center, Bungbungan Klungkung Auxilary Health Center, and Tabarfane Public Health Center in Aru Islands, Maluku.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin remarked that the test showed good result, and he opined that the capability allows primary health centers in the regional scope to be interconnected.
Moreover, Sadikin stated that the connection allows for more efficient recording of data on immunization, non-communicable diseases' screening, and digital baby weighing in My Healthy Indonesia Application (ASIK).
The minister expressed optimism that the internet service would be able to facilitate such interconnection in future, thereby allowing health facilities in remote areas to have good service quality on par with other regions.
"Indeed, we have 10 thousand public health centers that we currently (put through) digitalization, so the services which are previously unavailable in public health centers, inaccessible by people, with Starlink, it becomes accessible, so the services are not much different from the ones in metropolitan areas," he remarked.
In the same statement, the ministry's Chief of the Digital Transformation Office Setiaji stated that the improvement in internet connectivity can promote more inclusive health services across Indonesia.
"Currently, (health service) is widely partaken in metropolitan areas. The issue is regarding internet access, so later on people, particularly in remote areas, can use internet access to obtain health services, such as telemedicine," Setiaji noted.
Head of the Tabarfane Public Health Center Dr Christian Sihombing stated that all along, his area had reeled from issues in internet connectivity.
"We had difficulties inputting the health services data because internet here is so slow. Thus, we used to travel to city or district, some 200 miles in two to three hours ride on the speedboat," he remarked.
Sihombing expressed gratitude to the ministry and Musk for granting the internet service in that health facility and expected that the internet connectivity program can be maintained, so they are able to consistently provide efficient health services.
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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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