JAKARTA: (Bernama-Antara) Indonesia’s Ministry of Health confirmed that the free health screening programme is scheduled to commence in February, while the dissemination of information is planned to start in January, reported Antara news agency.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated here on Thursday (Jan 9) that the screening is aimed at preventing stroke and heart disease, which cause the largest number of deaths in Indonesia.
He remarked that three parameters will be evaluated: blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
According to Sadikin, the health screening will be conducted at 10,000 community health centres (puskesmas) and potentially at around 15,000 to 20,000 private-owned clinics to cover around 280 million people.
He explained that the health screening will be conducted on the birthdays of children under five, adults, and older adults.
"Meanwhile, for children up to 18 years old, the screening will be carried out at schools rather than on their birthdays," he added.
He stated that the type of screening provided will vary by age group. For instance, cancer screening will focus on older adults, while screening for congenital disorders will be aimed at children under five.
He affirmed that the screening programme will adopt a digital system.
After screening, he noted that the results would be sent via WhatsApp messages, similar to how PCR test results were shared during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Consequently, his ministry will promote its SATUSEHAT application starting this week.
He further remarked that the questionnaire within the application will include inquiries related to mental health.
Sadikin explained that mental health screening in Indonesia is still insufficient, as many people mistakenly believe they are mentally healthy when they are not. - Bernama-Antara
