IDI: The Health Test For Presidential And Vice Presidential Candidates Is Different From Medical Checkup

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JAKARTA - The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) stated that the health checks for prospective presidential candidates (candidates) and vice presidential candidates (cawapres) who are participants in the 2024 presidential election are different from ordinary health checks or such as medical checkups.

Therefore, since the 2004 presidential election, IDI has always been a KPU partner to help assess and carry out health tests for prospective presidential and vice presidential candidates.

However, in the 2024 presidential election, the KPU has not yet collaborated with IDI as a partner to carry out health tests on prospective presidential and vice presidential candidates.

"So far, PB IDI has not received an invitation from the KPU to be involved in the health test for the presidential and vice presidential candidates," said PB IDI General Chair Mohammed Adib Khumaidi in a statement Wednesday, October 18.

Based on the experience of being a KPU partner twice to assess the health of prospective presidential and vice presidential candidates, namely the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections, IDI issued Technical Guidelines for Assessment of Spiritual and Physical Capabilities Bakal Candidates for President and Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia in the 2014 Presidential Election. The guidelines were then used in the 2014 Presidential Election and the 2019 Presidential Election, and have even been patented at the Directorate of Intellectual Property of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

"If IDI is not invited to cooperate with the KPU, which guides or parameters will be used to check the mental and physical health of the presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2024 presidential election?" asked Adib Khumaidi.

In line with this, Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Doctors' Association of Health Facyancess (Hifdi) Prasetyo W Buwono stated that the assessment and examination of health candidates for presidential and vice presidential candidates is not an ordinary health check-up or just a medical check-up as to get a health certificate when you want to apply for a job.

The assessment and examination are also not health certificates from hospitals or doctor practices for patients who have been treated at the hospital and are allowed to return to work.

According to him, the 2024 presidential election or the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Election is a state political event that leads to the election of national leaders and regional heads who will run the government in the future. Therefore, health professional organizations should be involved to assess the spiritual and Jasmmani's ability to be presidential and vice presidential candidates, as well as candidates for regional heads and their representatives.

Meanwhile, General Chairperson of Hifdi who is also the General Chair of PB IDI for the 2012-2015 period, Zaenal Abidin said that the independence and imparity aspects should be of concern to the KPU regarding the assessment and examination of health candidates for presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Many people think that the 2024 presidential election will be hot considering the issue of inequality. By cooperating with health professional organizations in health checks for presidential and vice presidential candidates, the KPU can neutralize the issue. By cooperating with professional organizations, such as PB IDI, it is professional organizations that will later choose health workers, such as doctors, psychologists, and nurses who will become a health examination team in the 2024 presidential election," he said.