June 23, 2024 21:03 GMT+700

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) – The Government of Papua Province asked seven districts in the province to immediately implement the open defecation free program to reach the target of 100 percent elimination by the end of 2024.

“The seven districts are Jayapura, Keerom, Sarmi, Waropen, Yapen Islands, Mamberamo Raya, and Supiori,” Papua Governor’s Expert Staff for Community and Human Development Daniel R Senis said here on Sunday.

According to him, the only regions in Papua that have reached 100 percent elimination of open defecation are Biak Numfor District and Jayapura City.

Related news: BKKBN attributes stunting prevalence to living environment quality

“Open defecation cannot be taken lightly because it is a serious problem that has a detrimental impact on the environment, and has the potential to transmit disease germs such as diarrhea, typhoid, dysentery, and cholera,” he said.

He explained that children who frequently have those diseases will have their growth and development disrupted and ultimately this can result in stunting and even death.

“For that reason, we are encouraging the seven districts to immediately reach the target of 100 percent open defecation elimination in villages because this is in line with the mandate of sustainable development goals,” Senis said.

Meanwhile, UNICEF Indonesia’s Chief Field Office of Papua Aminuddin Ramdan stated that his office will continue to support the government in promoting the importance of good sanitation in villages to handle stunting.

Stunting reduction is a priority program of the Indonesian government, which is seeking to bring down stunting prevalence to 14 percent this year.

“Sanitation also has many relations with other diseases such as polio, whose transmission occurs through feces,” he said.

He noted that based on data, there are 500 villages in Papua that are not yet free from open defecation.

Related news: Mayors should use CSR funds for MCKs: Jakarta acting governor

Translator: Qadri Pratiwi, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo commended the completeness of facilities at the National Defense Central Hospital (RSPPN) Panglima Besar Soedirman in Bintaro, Jakarta, which was built by the Ministry of Defense.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the importance of having adequate health facilities, including hospital, with human resources readiness, equipped with adequate facilities to deal with health emergencies like the ones we have experienced,” the president stated at the RSPPN inauguration in Jakarta on Monday.

During his visit, Widodo was accompanied by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto to check the number of facilities at the hospital that he considers modern.

These facilities include an MRI machine with the highest spec Tesla 3 that can capture detailed views from all angles, a CT scan device that can scan from all sides to create cross-sectional images of the body, and a sophisticated and integrated modular operating room.

The head of state also highlighted the construction of hospitals for the Indonesian Navy, Army, and Air Force that have a domestic component level reaching an average of 70 percent.

Related news: Pandemic impels hospitals to improve quality of health services: VP

“This is a very good step to support the development of our national industry to accelerate our national economic recovery,” he remarked.

Apart from the RSPPN, Jokowi also inaugurated 20 hospitals for the Indonesian Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as five other hospitals that had earlier been inaugurated and were fully operational.

With its complete facilities, he expressed hope that the RSPPN can become a reference hospital for employees of the Ministry of Defense, Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), and their families as well as the public to access the best health services.

In addition, RSPPN is a teaching hospital for the Faculty of Medicine of the Defense University and is ready to become a disaster response hospital when needed.