Ministry of Health Receives Grant of 102 Mobile X-ray Units from Japan

Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono (two from the left) symbolically received a mobile x-ray grant from the Japanese Government at the Ministry of Health Building, South Jakarta, Wednesday, November 22. (ANTARA/HO-Kemenkes)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) received grant assistance from the Japanese Government in the form of 102 mobile x-ray units to support health facilities in Indonesia in carrying out radiological examinations quickly and easily.

"Decisions regarding patient treatment will be made more quickly, I think this will be a big advantage for health facilities that receive grants," said Indonesian Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono through the Communications and Public Services Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Health in Jakarta, Thursday.

Dante said that Japan and Indonesia had entered into a grant agreement, one of which was in the medical equipment sector. Apart from the 102 mobile x-ray units, there are also 102 x-ray protection screen units and 102 x-ray protection apron units.

Dante said the process of distributing and installing some of these items had been completed according to schedule and several hospitals had received permission from the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), so that x-ray equipment could be operated safely.

"Meanwhile, others still require supporting procedures to obtain permission from Bapeten which must be carried out by the Fujifilm Indonesia team supported by the recipient's health facility, so that this equipment can be operated safely," he said.

Dante also hopes that health facilities that receive this equipment will pay attention to maintenance procedures so that its service life is longer and its performance is maintained well.

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kannazuki Kenzi said at the handover agenda for the mobile x-ray grant in Jakarta, Wednesday, November 22, that the grant was proof of fulfilling the Japanese Government's commitment to supporting the Indonesian Government in the health sector.

"I believe that the distribution of medical equipment throughout Indonesia can contribute to the development of primary health services, which is one of the main policy directions of the Ministry of Health at the moment," he said.

Director General of Health Services of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Azhar Jaya, said that the assistance was part of the expenditure of Japanese Government grant funds worth 2 billion Japanese yen which rolled out on July 20, 2020.

However, he said, due to the pandemic situation and production capacity, the grant project, which Indonesia was supposed to receive in 2020 was delayed.

"The delivery and distribution process of grants will start in February 2023 and finish in August 2023, through two delivery stages. "This grant project is expected to be completed by December 31, 2024," he said.

Azhar also said that the recipients of the grant items were distributed to 102 hospital locations determined by considering the results of mapping x-ray needs.