DKI Provincial Government Clarifies Animal BPJS Discourse: Only Subsidies, Not Insurance

Illustration of cattle (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Head of the DKI Jakarta Food, Maritime and Agricultural Security Service (KPKP) Hasudungan Sidabalok clarified the plan to make BPJS for pets.

Hasudungan admitted that the DKI Provincial Government is limited to planning to provide subsidies for financing animal health services owned by Jakarta residents.

"Not BPJS, only subsidies or discounts. BPJS has contributions. It's more about health insurance, in principle this," Hasudungan told reporters, Tuesday, June 10.

He said the brewing of animal health care subsidies was still limited to discourse and did not know when it would be implemented. The idea, he continued, arose when meeting residents who claimed to be unable to pay the sterile cost of their pets.

"Compensive studies are needed. It is not that easy to implement the provision of subsidies to animal owners who are less capable of getting animal health services," said Hasudungan.

Moreover, the DKI Provincial Government is still prioritizing the addition of a female health service center (puskeswan) to facilitate it. The plan is that the DKI Provincial Government will add 10 health centers spread across all administrative cities of Jakarta and the Thousand Islands by 2026.

"We also have to prepare adequate facilities and infrastructure first, for example increasing the number of health centers in Jakarta. Currently (the number of health centers) is two, in Ragunan, South Jakarta and in Pondok Ranggon, East Jakarta," he explained.

Previously, Hasudungan revealed that the DKI Provincial Government would issue a health service program similar to BPJS for animals. However, this is still limited to discourse.

"That is indeed our concept, yes, BPJS animals. Later we will look for the most profitable scheme or what makes sense. So this is still in the discourse stage, but it is possible that later we will also realize it optimally," said Hasudungan on Wednesday, June 4.

"So maybe in the future, we will provide special discounts for the underprivileged, but not free," he continued.