Minister Of Health: This Year's KPPS Death Rate Drops From The Previous Election

The Indonesian Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin (center), when met at the Dharmais Cancer Hospital (RSK), Jakarta, Friday (16/2/2024). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the death rate of officials from the Voting Organizing Group (KPPS) in this year's election has decreased compared to the previous election.

"Compared to the previous election whose death rate was above 100 people, this year has decreased considerably," he said when met at the Dharmais Cancer Hospital (RSK), Jakarta, quoted by ANTARA Friday, February 16.

Minister of Health Budi said the decline in the death rate of officers, one of which was influenced by the increasing health awareness of the community who volunteered to become KPPS officers. "We feel that the public understands that work should not be too forced," he said. In the future, Minister of Health Budi targets that there will be no more cases of death for KPPS officers while on duty. One way, he said, is to continue health screening activities for prospective KPPS members before it is determined, as done in this election. "On average they have comorbidities, so there is high blood pressure, diabetes. Maybe what we want to do before becoming members of the KPPS, we screen first to check high blood pressure and sugar tests. The cause is often the two diseases," said Minister of Health Budi. Previously, member of the Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) Idham Holik said KPPS officers who died in the 2024 election, not as many as the 2019 election. "The number is not as much (like the 2019 election)," said Idham.

The Indonesian KPU, said Idham, has also proposed that the vote count be carried out with two panels, namely a panel of computing the presidential and vice-presidential ballots as well as a DPD, as well as other panels calculating the DPR and DPRD ballots, so that this can reduce the burden on KPPS officers. "We have designed two voting calculation panels at the TPS. According to our study, which has simulated in Tangerang City, Bogor City, Palembang, Kutai Kartanegara, there is time efficiency," he said.