Health Ministry Issues New Regulation on Incentives for Health Workers

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Ministry of Health has issued a new regulation regarding incentives for health workers handling COVID-19 cases.

The newly-issued regulation is Decree of Minister of Health (KMK) Number HK.01.07/MENKES/4239/2021 on Provision of Incentives and Death Benefits for Health Workers Handling COVID-19.

“With the issuance of Ministry of Health Decree, we will take necessary measures to immediately speed up the payment process,” Acting Head of Ministry of Health’s Agency for Human Resources Development on Health Sector (BPPSDM Kesehatan) Kirana Pritasari said on Wednesday (31/03).

The Decree stipulates that the incentives will be disbursed directly to the health worker’s account. To that end, the health worker’s account must be informed to the BPPSDM.

Another provision stipulated in the Decree is that the incentive recipient proposals must come from health facilities. The Decree also regulates the process of maintaining accountability for the implementation of the process.

“The improvement in this regulation, compared to that of 2020, is the criteria for health service facilities and the criteria for health workers. The priority is for COVID-19 handling,” Kirana said, quoted from the Ministry of Health’s website.

Kirana went on to say that the proposals for the incentives are expected to be submitted in April to be paid immediately. As for the 2020 arrears, a review process is being carried out by the Finance and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) so that the incentives can be paid.

“We hope the communication and coordination (among the relevant stakeholders) can be improved. Health facilities that handle COVID-19 cases are also expected to report periodically about the receipt of the incentives for health workers, so that we can monitor it to avoid delays in the payment,” Kirana said.

In the meantime, Head of Ministry of Health’s Bureau for Legal Affairs and Organization Sundoyo said that the issuance of the Health Minister’s Decree is based on recommendations from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the BPKP.

“The KPK and the BPKP have conducted field observations, research, as well as monitoring and evaluation and the results have been reported to Minister of Health. Several improvements stipulated in the Decree are based on recommendation from the BPKP and the KPK,” Sundoyo said. (PR of Ministry of Health/UN) (RI/MUR)