If we are not healthy, we may lose in the competition. I do not want Indonesia to lose."Deli Serdang (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) symbolically distributed health insurance cards called "Kartu Indonesia Sehat" (KIS) to a number of workers of state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara III here on Saturday.
"A strong and advanced nation is a healthy nation. So without health, a country can never be expected to progress," he said while visiting the plantation company at Sei Karang in the district of Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.
This was the first time in 2015 that the KIS cards were distributed at PT Perkebunan Nusantara III.
President Joko Widodo stated that by maintaining their health, Indonesians can compete in the ASEAN free trade, which will commence at the end of the year.
"Currently, competition is only among cities, districts and provinces, but we now need to prepare to compete with other countries after the ASEAN Economic Community is implemented at the end of 2015," he told workers of the plantation company.
Unless Indonesia has a health capital, he added, it will lose in the competition in the ASEAN region.
"If we are not healthy, we may lose in the competition. I do not want Indonesia to lose," he remarked.
The KIS card, which was promised by the president during his election campaign, will be distributed to 561 families of the workers of the company.
At present, the government, through the BPJS (social insurance organizer), has provided 82 million KIS cards to be distributed to the people.
At the gathering, President Jokowi was flanked by Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek and Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani.
The event was also attended by State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno and BPJS Health President Director Fahmi Idris.
(Reported by Ageng Wibowo/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
