President Jokowi Calls for Strengthened Puskesmas for COVID-19 Test Sample, Case Tracking

Secretary Cabinet joins a limited meeting through a video conference from the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday (18/5). (Photo by: Agung/PR).

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has for called for community health centers (Puskesmas) to be strengthened for sample testing and tracking of COVID-19 cases.

“We have 10,134 community health centers throughout the country, 4,000 of which are equipped with in-patient facilities,” the President said in his introduction at a limited meeting through a video conference from the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday (18/5).

According to the President, as many as 4,883 family physicians plus health clinics have been serving the Government’s National Health Insurance (JKN) program.

“This (program) really needs to be effective so the community health centers and its network can serve as a node in sample testing, tracking COVID-19 cases in the area, and monitoring people under surveillance (ODP) and asymptomatic people (OTG),” he said.

On that occasion, the President also ordered relevant cabinet ministers to accelerate the distribution of both social cash assistance (BST), staple food packages, and village funds direct cash assistance (BLT Desa) through procedure simplification.

“To date, BLT Desa distributed has only reached 15 percent, and as for social cash assistance, only 25 percent has been distributed. I also received information from Minister of the Villages and Minister of Social Affairs that the distribution will be completed this week,” he said.

The President also said that beneficiaries data that has not been synchronized between the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) and non-DTKS must be immediately resolved.

“Do give flexibility to the regional governments, particularly village governments to take operational policies on the ground by complying accountability aspect,” the President said. (FID/EN)

Translator: Muhardi
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas