Stunting Eradication, Jokowi Commits Every Puskesmas To Have A Pregnancy Ultrasound Equipment

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) wants to ensure that every puskesmas has an Ultrasonography (USG) tool to assist with pregnancy examinations, when visiting the Toroh 1 Health Center, Grobogan Regency, Central Java, Tuesday, January 23.

According to President Jokowi, the government has distributed ultrasound equipment to 10 thousand health centers throughout the country. The President also said that the ultrasound tool has a good system, so it is hoped that it can help eradicate stunting in Indonesia.

"We hope that later everyone will have ultrasound so that the mother's pregnancy, the baby's (condition) can be detected early, and all data will enter the data center in Jakarta. This is very important in the context of stunting alleviation," said President Jokowi in a written statement from the Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia.

In addition to ultrasound devices, the government also provides baby weighing equipment to a number of posyandu throughout Indonesia, as the first step in handling stunting which will continue to be improved in the future.

"There are 300 thousand scales that we have given, which previously were not all given now, so that for the baby's weight, the length of the toddler, everything can be checked. I think this is an early handling like this that we will continue to improve," said President Jokowi.

A pregnant woman named Ria admitted that she was greatly helped by the presence of ultrasound equipment at the puskesmas.

Ria said that her pregnancy examination became easier, closer, and complete.

"It's good that there is an ultrasound at the puskesmas, so it's not far away. It's good, I was told the fetal heartbeat, the fetal weight, the window was also notified, the baby's position was too," said Ria.

Also accompanying President Jokowi during the visit were Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (PMK) Muhadjir Effendy, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Acting Governor of Central Java Nana Sudjana, and Regent of Grobogan Sri Sumarni.