Many people are being served."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a limited Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday to discuss doctors incentives following the implementation of national health insurance on January 1.

"I have uncovered two realities. One relates to our health service, which has been good and the people have been served well, and the other relates to the increasing work of doctors and medical personnel," he said.

He noted that he had personally observed the implementation of the health insurance program in the field during his visit to Surabaya, East Java, recently.

He added that the health services provided at the locations he had visited had been good even though the number of patients was quite large.

"Many people are being served. So, I have seen with my own eyes that the intensity of the health services provided by doctors and paramedics is increasing," he stated.

He pointed out that since the implementation of the BPJS (social security) program, he had received numerous complaints and messages detailing future aspirations directly from doctors and health personnel as well as indirectly through First Lady Ani Yudhoyono.

The President admitted that although the implementation had been good, its shortcomings were still being found, and these had to be overcome.

He confirmed that he had already responded to the complaints received so far through First Lady Ani Yudhoyonos Instagram account.

In his response, President Yudhoyono assured medical personnel that their aspirations would be addressed.

He called for reasonable incentives for doctors and health personnel based on funds available in the budget.

The incentives must be increased in stages to make them more appropriate and fair, he said.

(Reporting by GNC Aryani/H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/O001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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