Memories Of Minister Of Health's Dream Terawan Agus Putranto Healthy Indonesia Through Herbal Medicine

Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto promoted herbal medicine. (kemkes.go.id)

JAKARTA - The best health system is often judged by the presence of many international standard hospitals. The presence of the hospital is like a symbol of medical services. In fact, the most core health matters arise from preventive measures.

The narrative was tried by the Minister of Health (Menkes), Terawan Agus Putranto. He not only increases health services, but also wants healthy living to be part of a lifestyle. He invited all Indonesians to drink herbal medicine.

Traditional medicine has never lost its charm in the archipelago. Traditional herbs, for example. Processed drinks from efficacious medicinal plants are believed to heal many diseases and maintain fitness.

This belief made herbal medicines can be side by side with western medicines in the colonial era. Everyone can make their own herbs. Most of them make their home yard a living pharmacy planted with a variety of medicinal plants.

This condition makes them have a lot of ingredients to make herbal medicine. Easy, efficient, and of course efficacious. Indeed, recently herbal medicine has lost prestige with western-style medicine. There are also those who think it is underdeveloped or ancient. However, typical matters can be pitted.

The potential of traditional herbal medicine is trying to be re-appointed by Terawan Agus Putranto. The Minister of Health from the 2019-2020 era immediately stepped on the gas to improve the health system in Indonesia. Terawan, who was just trusted by Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as minister, tried to make a breakthrough.

He did not want to rely on bombastic programs in the health sector. Terawan tries to look different. If usually health efforts are carried out to treat, terawan wants to lean towards prevention. It's an umbrella before it rains," he said.

He wants to promote a healthy life. He also wants to promote herbal medicine. Terawan has a big dream to make herbal medicine a world or traditional medicine world in Indonesia. Terawan also considered Jamu to have great potential to support Indonesian tourism.

Terawan said, one of the things that was encouraged was the development of herbal medicine. Local wisdom products made from natural ingredients are believed to be efficacious in treating certain diseases. However, the development of herbal medicine requires interference from hospitals.

So far, hospitals have been trusted as institutions that are able to treat or handle health problems appropriately and measurably. Hospital trust in herbal medicine and other traditional medicines is in line with public trust in these two things," said Nino Citra Anugrahanto in his writings in Kompas daily entitled Minister of Health: Encourage Development of Traditional Medicines (2019).

When many people look at herbal medicine with one eye. Terawan actually appears as a savior. He considers herbal medicine an important part when talking about a healthy life. He made an analogy without herbal medicine, a healthy lifestyle like a vegetable without salt.

Terawan did not waste the opportunity to become Minister of Health. He moved quickly by cooperating. The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to provide health tourism in Indonesia on November 19, 2019.

The pilot projects for this activity are in five destinations, namely the Joglosemar area (Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang), Bali and DKI Jakarta. The project makes herbal medicine an important pillar of national health security. This narrative made Terawan also encourage government hospitals to participate in promoting traditional herbal medicine.

The voice of donations related to the idea of Terawan lifting herbal medicine is not small. However, Terawan continued to develop the idea of promoting herbal medicine. Herbal medicine has high value and is an important part of health preventive measures.

Terawan's seriousness in promoting herbal medicine was even present when Indonesia was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. Terawan invited the Indonesian people to build immunity in an easy and inexpensive way: drink herbal medicine.

Terawan made the idea when the world was still confused about taking preventive steps related to the virus from Wuhan. Terawan was ridiculed regarding the handling of the pandemic. However, his idea to consume herbal medicine during the pandemic is an important part. People also have the option to maintain health by consuming cheap traditional herbs.

"Through herbal medicine, it becomes complementary in a healthy lifestyle. The movement of people to live a healthy life (Germas) if not accompanied by herbal medicine is like a vegetable without salt, because herbal medicine is a prima donna that I will continue to raise."

"It turns out that it is very simple, the ingredients are also easy to obtain. Even if you don't have time to plant around the house, it's easy to find in the market and instructions for the use and manufacture of herbal medicine are scattered in the community. This is my dream. Healthy Indonesia through herbal medicine," said Terawan Agus Putranto as quoted by the Sindonews page, February 15, 2020.