Doubts linger over Indonesia’s healthcare system transformation

A baby receives the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis during a national immunisation for children programme at an integrated services post in Banda Aceh on June 9, 2022. - AFP

JAKARTA (The Nation/Asia News Network): Just when the Covid-19 pandemic began to show signs of easing, a series of unexpected illnesses this year raised the stakes even further for the Health Ministry's ongoing efforts to reform the healthcare system, which faces the task of safeguarding the country from future outbreaks and finally stamping out the coronavirus.

Like many countries in the world, the Indonesian healthcare system was ill-equipped to deal with arguably the toughest modern health crisis when the country reported its first case in March 2020.