It is mentioned in Law number 36 of 2009 concerning health development that aims to improve awareness, willingness, and ability to live a healthy life for everyone to accomplish the highest public health status as an investment for the development of Human Resources productive socially and economically.
Held based on humanity, the balance of benefits, protection, respect for right and obligation, gender justice, and non-discrimination and religious norms, West Papua province has been quite successful in improving the health status public. However, there is still a lot of homework to do. Here is the development of the health sector in the land of Papua.
Relatively Low
The health status in West Papua is mentioned to be relatively low in comparison to other provinces in Indonesia. The main problem faced is the low quality of the population that is indicated by:
- The high mortality rate for infants and children under five and maternal mothers
- The high proportion of children under five who suffer from nutrition insufficient
- High mortality rates from infectious diseases
- Gaps in health quality and access to services quality health among regions
- The compliance of health personnel is not evenly distributed
- Limited sources of health financing as well as the inadequate allocation of health financing.
2012-2016 Health Development Overview of West Papua
This evaluation is the result of the 2012-2016 Strategic Plan of the Health Services of the West Papua Province.
- 2015 Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) tends to decrease to 338 per1,000 births within 1 year, from 1,417 in 1 year per 1,000 live births in 2012.
- 2016 Prevalence Malnutrition among children under five decreased to 17.7% from 19% in 2014.
- In 2016, vitamin A capsules to children aged 6-59 months, as well as iron (Fe) tablets to pregnant women, have reached 90% exceeded the target of 80%.
- Until 2016, the ratio of health workers still had not reached the target per 100,000 population, such as specialist doctors 4.26 from target 9 per 100,000 population, general practitioners 26.3 from target 30, dentists 7.7 from target 11, nurses of 157.75 from target 158, and midwives 43.75 from target 75 per 100,000 population.
Health Services Steps to Face Outbreaks in Papua & West Papua
Until 2018, the measles and malnutrition outbreak in Asmat and the Bintang Mountains killed dozens of children. The cases have had the same pattern as outbreaks in several other areas in Papua since 2015; due to infants not being immunized, occurs in isolated areas because there are no health workers in that place.
Team of Isolated Regions was dispatched in early 2019 to the area to work 3-4 months to map the problems based on the initial assessment of the Health Crisis Team and the Papua Health Development Acceleration Unit (UP2KP). They then would be replaced by the Satuan Tugas Kaki Telanjang dan Terapung team (Satgas Kijang & Terapung) with two years of tasks of promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative.
They are also working with the Nusantara Sehat Team from the Ministry of Health. And as a big concept of health development by synchronizing the Health Service Team and the Ministry of Health Team, they will hand over this health service task to the local district right after when the team’s tasks are finished.
While anticipating Polio, Mass Immunization in Papua and West Papua was held on March 18, 2019, and April 2019, targeted 95 percent of the target number of infants from 0 to 15 years of 1,009,357 children.
Current Health Development in West Papua
West Papua Telemedicine is the Most Active in Indonesia
Stated on 11 August 2020, the results of monitoring and evaluation of telemedicine services shows that the most active Health Facility for Consultation Request in Indonesia during the January-July 2020 period was:
- Sorong District Hospital in West Papua Province with 408 teleradiology readings,
- RSUD Raja Ampat District, with 404 teleradiologists sent,
- Puskesmas Oransbari with 25 teleEKG units sent.
Integrated Boarding School and Telemedicine Pattern in Papua Province
The Minister of National Development Planning of Indonesia officially launched an integrated boarding school and telemedicine pattern in Papua Province on 7 August 2020. Started in Jayapura and Nabire, as a part of the development plan, this integrated boarding school would be built in all customary areas in Papua and West Papua.
Biomolecular Lab of West Papua Provincial Hospital
The procurement of the Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) device at the West Papua Provincial Hospital will be able to reduce anxiety among the community regarding the use of a rapid diagnostic test, which as we all know has a low level of accuracy of results.
It detects the presence of the SARS-Cov-2 virus through RNA molecules with a high degree of accuracy and is the only standard testing method recognized by the world health agency (WHO).
Health development in West Papua is quite fast, especially during a pandemic. As well at the Teluk Bintuni District Hospital, West Papua Province will provide several PCR Covid-19 examination tools at Sorong City Pertamina Hospital, Manokwari District Hospital, and West Papua Province Emerging Infectious Diseases Quarantine Facility (PIE).
