JAKARTA: At least 17,000 Indonesians participated in the country’s ambitious free health screening programme on the first day of its roll-out at community health centres nationwide on Monday (Feb 10), according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, even as an official said that outreach efforts have not been widespread.
The Cek Kesehatan Gratis (CKG) initiative – which is set to cost over 3 trillion rupiah (US$183.2 million) – is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s key election campaign promise to detect various diseases early and avoid preventable deaths.
He took office as Indonesia’s eighth president on Oct 20 last year, and had pledged to improve the lives of its citizens across the archipelago.
The free health screening includes blood pressure tests, tests to determine the risk of heart problems or stroke as well as eye tests, the health ministry said.
Regarded as a “birthday present” from the state to its citizens, every Indonesian will eventually receive a voucher for free medical check-ups that can be claimed during or up to one month after their birthday.
The first phase of the programme targets babies, toddlers, adults aged between 18 and 59 as well as the elderly.
A free health check service targeting school-age students is expected to begin later in July in schools.
Among those who participated in the health screening on the first day of the roll-out was 31-year-old Linda who visited the Pasar Minggu Health Centre in South Jakarta.
“After I received my queue number, I was told to go to the screening room at the third level, the entire procedure took about one hour and I did not have to wait,” she said, as quoted by Detik.
