Gov’t to Strengthen Health Sector in 2021 Work Plan

Info graphics on Strengthening Health Sector in the 2021 Government Work Plan. (Source: Ministry of PPN/Bappenas)

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has announced it will strengthen health sector in the 2021 Government Work Plan (RKP).

It also stated that the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak serves as a wake-up call for the state to improve its health system; thus, health sector will become one of the Government’s priorities on the 2021 State Budget.

“The Government will reform health system after dealing with the social safety net for the handling of COVID-19 outbreak,” according to a release by Ministry of National Development Planning (PPN)/the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has previously ordered ministries, institutions, and regional governments to re-allocate and re-focus their budgets for three main priorities namely to focus on public health, to prepare social safety nets for the grassroots, and to safeguard the ongoing businesses particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises.

“The ongoing pandemic has raised awareness on how important health security is,” the President said in the opening of the 2021 National Development Planning Conference (Musrenbangnas) through a teleconference on 30 April 2020.

Apart from the ongoing pandemic, Indonesia has also several dangerous infectious diseases that need special treatment such as tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and leprosy, and lung disease, all of which can be underlying conditions for COVID-19, the release said.

The health reform, according to the release, will cover two sides, namely demand and supply sides and will start from the most basic level, namely the community health center (puskesmas).

“Many of the community health centers still lack medical equipment and health professionals,” the release said, adding that the Bappenas will also focus on strengthening health security and healthy living movements.

Health security is also expected to detect and prevent dangerous diseases as early as possible by presenting a rapid response kit and also by establishing a research laboratory, the release said.

“The more advanced the country’s health system is, the more resilient its human resources are,” the release said. (Ministry of PPN/Bappenas Public Communication Team/EN)

Translator: Muhardi
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas