Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – The government has begun rolling out free health screenings for approximately 53 million students nationwide, as part of a broader initiative to provide screenings for all citizens to promote early disease detection and improve public health.
Head of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Hasan Nasbi, said the health screening program targets all elementary, junior high and high school students across the country.
"It's part of the government's efforts to improve the quality of the nation's human resources. In addition to providing access to quality education, the government also wants to ensure the health and well-being of its citizens," he said on Tuesday, as reported by Kompas.com.
"Through health screenings, we hope to detect and treat diseases from an early age," he added.
According to the Health Ministry, the program will be rolled out in stages starting Monday. The initial phase will target students at newly established sekolah rakyat (community schools).
A total of 63 of these boarding schools, which aim to provide free education for underprivileged children, are scheduled to open next week, with each expected to accommodate around 1,000 students.
Deputy Social Affairs Minister Agus Jabo Priyono said that all registered students will undergo health screenings before the school year begins, in an effort to prevent the spread of disease within the boarding school environment.
"President Prabowo Subianto has instructed that any registered students diagnosed with an illness must receive medical treatment and fully recover before being allowed to start school," he said last week.
Once the health screenings for Sekolah Rakyat students are completed, the program will expand to all schools under the Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry and the Religious Affairs Ministry, starting on August 1.
The screenings will be conducted in more than 282,000 schools across the country.
School-age children who are not enrolled in formal education or are homeschooled will still be able to access free health screenings at their nearest community health centers (puskesmas).
The program offers 15 different types of health screenings, including nutritional status assessments, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, as well as screenings for tuberculosis, anemia and thalassemia.
Students will also undergo dental, ear and reproductive health examinations. All screenings will be tailored according to the students' age group.
In addition to physical health checks, students will also undergo psychological screenings, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.
"Mental health has become a serious concern, as many disorders go undetected from an early age despite their relatively high prevalence among schoolchildren," he said last week.
Budi also expressed hope that the program could serve as a platform to educate children about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles from an early age.
The free health screening is one of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship initiatives. Since its launch in February, more than 11 million people have participated in the program.
Minister Budi stated that the government aims to screen 50 million citizens this year, with the ultimate goal of conducting annual health screenings for Indonesia's entire population of 280 million once the program reaches full capacity.
"This is the largest health screening initiative ever undertaken by the government. Currently, we conduct around 200,000 tests daily, and with the addition of schoolchildren, we expect to significantly scale up daily testing," he said.