Papua Mimika Health Office Prepares 'Flying Doctor' Service To The Interior

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

TIMIKA - Mimika District Health Office, Papua this year opened a 'flying doctor' service to improve the quality of health services for residents who live in five puskesmas areas in mountainous areas.

Head of the Mimika Health Service, Reynold Ubra, said the five mountain health centers that were the focus of this year's 'flying doctor' services were Aroanop Health Center, Tsinga Health Center in Tembagapura District, Hoeya Health Center in Hoeya District, Alama Health Center in Alama District and Jila Health Center in Jila District.

All of these activities, he said, were funded with assistance from the Papua Special Autonomy (Otsus) fund.

"For the last two years we have focused on improving health services at 11 health centers in coastal areas. Starting this year we will also focus on mountainous areas, where later there will be a special team equipped with doctors who take turns providing services there every two months. This is done so that health services really touch the community," Reynold said as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, March 2.

In connection with this, the Mimika Health Office has communicated with the airline, which will be entrusted with transporting the officers stationed at a number of health centers in the mountainous region which can only be reached by helicopter or by plane type of Caravan and Pilatus Porter.

The Mimika Health Office will also hold a meeting with all relevant parties in the mountainous region to jointly maintain and create a conducive situation not only for the health workers who will work there, but also the people who will enjoy health services.

"We will also involve the local community to participate in health programs so that they can be trained to become health cadres in their respective villages," explained Reynold.

Currently, there are 10 health centers in the coastal area and five health centers in the mountainous area of Mimika which are the main focus of attention of the Mimika Health Office, considering that the coastal and mountainous areas are the main pockets of settlements for indigenous people or Papuan Orang Asli (OAP).

There are also 10 health centers in the coastal area of Mimika, namely Potowayburu Health Center and Tapormai Health Center in the Far West Mimika District, Mapar Health Center and Uta Health Center in the Central West Mimika District, Ipaya Health Center in Amar District, Kokonao Health Center in West Mimika District.

Then the Atuka Health Center in Central MImika District, Manasari Health Center in Far East Mimika District, Agimuga Health Center in Agimuga District and Jita Health Center in Jita District.

In addition to providing medical personnel who will routinely serve in a number of health centers far from the center of Timika City, the Mimika Health Office is also gradually equipping all the facilities, facilities and infrastructure needed such as housing for medical staff, clean water facilities, electricity, communication facilities, medical facilities transportation and more.

"This year we will start from the Hoeya Health Center by building proper housing for officers. This will continue until 2023, not only building supporting puskesmas facilities (pustu) but will also be equipped with supporting facilities and infrastructure," he said.