Kediri Health Office Budgets IDR 36 Billion Excise Fund For Residents' Health

JAKARTA - The Health Office of the City of Kediri, East Java, has budgeted funds of up to IDR 36 billion in 2022 to help the health of residents. This fund is taken from the profit sharing of tobacco products excise (DBHCHT).

"For 2022, we have allocated a budget of up to IDR 36 billion for JKN from excise funds. Last year (2021) the budget was IDR 35 billion," said Head of the Kediri City Health Office, Doctor Fauzan Adima in Kediri, Antara, Sunday, February 6.

Fauzan hopes that with the increase in the budget, his party can provide more optimal services to the community, including the less fortunate, according to the government's universal health coverage (UHC) program.

The central government has indeed issued Presidential Instruction Number 1 of 2022 concerning Optimizing the National Health Insurance Program (JKN). The Presidential Instruction was signed by President Joko Widodo on January 6, 2022 and was issued in order to optimize the implementation of the JKN-KIS Program and improve access to health services.

According to him, the Kediri City Government has optimized health insurance participation for the community, whose development has been carried out since 2018 for UHC. In fact, currently the coverage of the JKN program in the City of Kediri has reached 96 percent.

"In the City of Kediri, progress has been made for UHC since 2018. In the City of Kediri (participation) so far it has been around 96 percent. There are participations from the center, from the province and from the city government. For the city government, about 70 percent is backed up from the excise fund," said Fauzan.

In addition, the City Government of Kediri also allows funds from the Community Empowerment Program (Prodamas) to be used, one of which is to insure its citizens at BPJS Health. The city government provides Prodamas funds worth IDR 100 million per RT per year.

Fauzan also hopes that the public will understand the referral system in disease management, so that they can make the best use of this program. The referral system for handling the disease is based on the quality of health services and it is a central rule.

Kediri Mayor Abdullah Abu Bakar emphasized that the city government is committed to providing optimal health services for the community. The Kediri City Government has implemented UHC, insuring the health of people from various walks of life on the condition that they have never participated in insurance before.

According to the Mayor, the UHC program is greatly helped by the community. They no longer have to think about the cost of treatment, because the City Government of Kediri has assisted them.

"Alhamdulillah, it is helped by having this JKN, they don't have to think about any costs if they want treatment. It's free," said the mayor.