President Prabowo Calls for Improved BPJS Services, Equal Treatment for Patients

President Prabowo Subianto has called for the improvements in service quality of the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) to ensure that the public receives better healthcare services, with shorter waiting times and optimal care for every patient. Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin made the statement following a limited meeting chaired by the President at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday (09/28).

“At the meeting, the President instructed us to ensure that BPJS services are also improved. Queue times should be shortened further, and patients who comes in should receive proper care,” the Minister stated.

The Minister noted that the President had highlighted the importance of service equality in hospitals. The Government ensures that all hospitals provide the same level of service to patients who both are and are not covered by BPJS Kesehatan.

“We must also ensure that all hospitals do not discriminate between BPJS patients and non-BPJS patients,” the Minister said.

The financial sustainability of BPJS Kesehatan was also addressed during the meeting. The Minister mentioned that BPJS Kesehatan requires financial certainty, and the Ministry of Finance had provided assurance regarding the long-term funding sustainability of the program while continuing to prioritize service quality for the public.

“Our colleagues at BPJS also asked for financial certainty. Fortunately, the Minister of Finance was also present and provided clarity on the future of BPJS. As long as services remain good and needed by the public, its financial sustainability will be guaranteed,” Budi said.

Meanwhile, President Director of BPJS Kesehatan Prihati Pujowaskito stated that enhancing service quality must take into account several developments in the healthcare system, including medical inflation, population growth, shifting disease patterns, and increased utilization of healthcare services.

“We will make improvements to address several minor issues, including how to tackle fraud in healthcare services. It is also important to address volume-based practices. We will shift toward value-based approach,” Prihati continued.

Prihati explained that the shift in approach serves as a key measure to improve the quality of service for BPJS participants. The approach is intended to ensure that the services provided align more closely with participants’ actual needs.

“We will enforce this approach in order to achieve value-based services. This is also what we have committed to in improving the quality of services for participants so that BPJS services are better aligned with the participants’ needs and properly targeted,” Prihati stated. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (YA/TM)