The three regions are Jayapura City, Jayapura District, and Biak Numfor District.
Acting Head of the Papua Provincial Health Office, Arry Pongtiku, stated here on Friday that his side is encouraging the remaining six districts and cities to implement the program at the earliest.
“The free health check-up program has begun on January 20, 2025, and we hope that this initiative will extend to all districts and cities in Papua,” he remarked.
According to Pongtiku, all nine districts and cities are generally ready to roll out the free health check-up program, but some areas are facing challenges related to logistics and human resources.
“This free health exam will be conducted at local health centers and several private clinics in partnership with (state health insurer) BPJS Kesehatan,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, Acting Governor of Papua, Ramses Limbong, emphasized that this free examination is an essential program from the central government that must be fully implemented.
“I ask that these health examinations not only take place at local health centers but also be available in places of worship and terminals to make it easier for the community to access them,” he emphasized.
Limbong noted that the free health check-up program will include early detection of common health issues such as blood sugar levels, hypertension, gout, and cholesterol.
“These examinations do not take much time but are very important because they help us understand the real state of public health,” he explained.
He stated that this program is a direct instruction from President Prabowo Subianto as a step in early disease prevention.
“We hope this program will raise public awareness about health, leading to increased productivity,” Limbong remarked.
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Translator: Qadri P, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
