Health development in the eastern part of Indonesia keeps on being one of the concerns. Especially, with the pandemic situation. In West Papua in particular where people are still nature depended, a huge improvement of the health sector needs a proper acceleration and consistent change. But how good it is until this current time? Here is a bit of a glimpse into the health sector.
The Effort On Realizing Health Development
Indonesia and the provincial government have always strived for the local Papuan welfare development. Under Law No. 36/2009 on health, the law indicates that health is part of human rights and the element of welfare. It should be realized as part of the Indonesian nation’s purposes and development plan.
Depending on the act, the health sector development is more than just infrastructure. It can help increase the ability, willingness, and awareness to live a healthy life for everyone. And the point that both local and central governments need to grasp is the need for high-level public health. However, doing so to the region is not an easy matter.
West Papua needs to base on the local balance, benefit, humanity, protection, respect for obligation, right, justice, nondiscriminatory, gender, and religious norms. Unfortunately, many locals are still headstrong on tradition and rites. Thus, pushing some development into a dead-end or issues in the future. But, it does not mean the effort is futile.
Improvement And Development In Public Health Programs
Health sector development, local statutes, and public health improvement programs are part of the special autonomy law mandate. The special autonomy law means infusing a grand number of funds for the province. Thus, the local government needs to show the proper work and improvement in many ways. It meant to improve trust and wiliness of local for better wellbeing.
Unfortunately, many problems are occurring during the process. Some movements disrupt the local movement to make changes. That is why local authorizer needs to develop and accelerate the growth by making a significant breakthrough. And one of the ways is to improve the HDI, or maternal, child mortality rates, and disease in West Papua.
One of the ways that have proven helpful is by providing financial support for the health center. It can range from minimal facilities to infrastructure. Some improvements in the hospital should also focus on increasing hospitals accreditation. Moreover, the government can also allocate more operational health assistance for community health centers.
Up until recent years, the development in this sector did not show a consistent and committed improvement. It can make a huge impact in improving health services in the area. Locals might lose interest and trust in the health center. Some of the hospitals also lack accreditation which government needs to fix or improve to meet health service standards.
Great milestone by Increasing HDI Since 2002-2020
One of the biggest achievements is the improvement in HDI from 2002 to 2020. HDI or human development index has increased in the last two decades. The number has reached 65.1. It might not be on par with other locations, but it is a good milestone to reach. Besides, the life expectancy in West Papua has increased to 66.1 in 2020.
The number also shows that maternal and infant mortality has a significant step up. It is said that the improvement has reached the bare minimum targets of the national medium-term development plan. Effort upon growth has continuously been injected into the region, which later increases the health centers to fit the above national average.
However, the livelihood and the vast nature dependent live make the progress face many problems. One of the issues that are hard to fix is an infectious disease. Local health centers still face problems to points malaria and tuberculosis. Health centers such as Puskesmas, hospitals, and centers barely touch solution for such problem even though it has reached the minimum number of facilities.
Regarding The New Covid-19 Vaccination
That situation involves a huge danger during the Covid 19 pandemic. It can turn into a huge disaster or affect a large number of locals if the province cannot deliver the best health procedure. Fortunately, local and central governments work together to pressed the involvement of local religious figures to implement vaccination and educate about the COVID-19 situation.
For West Papua, president Joko Widodo pressed the vaccination implementation in the region. It is also worth mentioning that the current percentage of vaccinated persons has reached 58.2% for the first dose, 38% for the second dose, and 1.7% for the booster dose. The provincial government also pressed the center to increase the stock of the Sinovac vaccine.
The three points mentioned above are just the surface of the region’s development for years. It shows that the provincial and central government has tried their best to provide fund and development. Despite it is not effective, the effort and program have increased HDI. The current update of vaccination also collaborates with local leaders.
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