How is the improvement of health development in Papua and West Papua so far? The leaders of the Papua Province started setting up their health policy after the Papua Provincial Health Office Working Meeting at Aston Hotel, back on the 8th of September 2014.
To improve health services management, the Provincial Government of Papua has established a health policy. The policy includes increasing the number of networks and basic health facilities/health centres (Puskesmas or Pusat Kesehatan Masyarakat).
Another thing the policy includes is the increase of the health workers’ quantity and quality. The development of the health service network system for the poor and the improvement of the referral health systems are also part of their major concerns.
Other Policies Included
In addition to all of them, there are plenty of other concerns to be improved, like:
- increasing socialization of environmental health and healthy lifestyles,
- increasing health education in the community from an early age,
- empowering people to be able to live independently and healthy,
- increasing disease prevention,
- improving community nutrition,
- increasing the need for basic healthcare drugs,
- program medication, buffer stocks and village medicine posts,
- the development of Papuan Health Insurance (Jamskespa or Jaminan Kesehatan Papua) for hospitals.
Assistant II Papua Regional Secretary, Drs. Elia I. Loupatty, at the Papua Provincial Health Office Working Meeting at Aston Hotel, back on the 8th of September 2014, stated:
“The policies that I mentioned earlier should be followed up with the preparation and the implementation of health service programs and activities both at public health centres and their networks as well as hospitals that need to be supported by legal certainty in the form of the health Perdasus and its implementing regulations as the implementation of the Special Autonomy Law in the health sector.”
Drs. Elia admitted that monitoring the implementation of innovative health service programs aims to synchronize health development programs and activities in the Province of Papua. This also covers districts and technical units of the Health Ministry to support health management policies in the province.
Some Laws and Regulations That Support The Health Improvement Programs in Papua and West Papua:
According to Lukas Enembe—the governor of Papua, these are the laws and regulations that have always supported the health improvement programs in both provinces:
- The Law Number 36/2009 concerning Health (Undang-Undang Nomor 36/2009)
- The Law Number 22/1999 concerning Regional Government (Undang-Undang Nomor 22/1999)
- The Law Number 21/2001 concerning Special Autonomy (Undang-Undang Nomor 21/2001)
- The Governor Regulation Number 6/2014 concerning Guaranteed Financing of Public Health Services in Papua (Peraturan Gubernur Nomor 6/2014)
In addition, health workers must be the health development priorities in both provinces, beginning from the public health centres (Puskesmas). Other priorities include:
- Health offices
- Hospitals
- Health education institutions, including health professionals to provide standard health services
The standard health services are according to each health practitioner’s educational background—from doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, and other ones involved in supporting other health services.
The Latest Regulations on The Acceleration of All Developments In Papua and West Papua:
In June 2021, The Government of Indonesia issued two regulations to accelerate the development in both provinces. Those regulations are:
- The Presidential Decree Number 9/2020 (Peraturan Presiden No. 9/2020) concerning the Acceleration of Welfare Development in Papua and West Papua.
- The Presidential Decree Number 20/2020 (Peraturan President No. 20/2020) concerning The Integrated Coordination Team for The Acceleration on Welfare Development in Papua and West Papua
According to Indonesia’s Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, this has been the government’s commitment to treat both provinces equally as other provinces in Indonesia. The government’s quick win program has been formed until 2024. This program covers all these fields below:
- Poverty alleviation
- Health
- Education
- Businesses (both small and micro ones)
- Infrastructure
- Employment
- Achieving SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals
The implementation of all is systematically and gradually.
In the health sector, Ma’ruf stated that the Healthy Papua program was on. The program included the provision of easy access to health treatments in eight districts. The districts included were: Sorong, Bintuni Bay, Wondama Bay, South Manokwari, Maybrat, Arfak Mountains, South Sorong, and Tambraw.
There are programs to support that when it comes to improving Regional General Hospitals (RSUD or Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah). These programs aim in seven customary areas:
- Developing the Papua Health Institute
- Strengthening the Health Centre Plus
- Building decent housings for the local communities
- Addressing stunting on infants
- Looking after abandoned children
As we can see, there are many things to be done in the name of the health development in Papua and West Papua. Although the progress feels slow, let’s have more faith that it is still steady. Hopefully, just like other provinces in Indonesia, these two provinces can catch up. More locals there will gain better health access.
