Deputy Chairperson of House Commission IX Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena leading the Hearing with Director General of Health Services and Director General of Public Health of the Ministry of Health, Supervisory Board of BPJS Kesehatan, and Director of BPJS Kesehatan. Photo: Geraldi/nr 

PARLEMENTARIA, Jakarta - In a Hearing between Commission IX of the House of Representatives and health service stakeholders, requests were made to improve stunting prevention programs. In the meeting, the Ministry of Health and BPJS Kesehatan (Indonesia’s health insurance program) to evaluate mental health services in the National Health Insurance (JKN) program.

Deputy Chairperson of the House Commission IX Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena emphasized during the meeting at the Commission IX meeting room, Nusantara I, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday (27/3/2024), that Commission IX encouraged the Ministry of Health to improve the stunting prevention program, while emphasizing the need for BPJS Health to establish clear referral procedures for infants and toddlers who are diagnosed with stunting and are not yet registered with BPJS Kesehatan.

In handling the problem of stunting, Commission IX urged related stakeholders in the health sector to carry out broader comprehensive interventions, including conducting early detection, implementing the first 1000 days of life program, and ensuring that the special supplementary foods (PKMK) for stunting is of high quality by taking into account the needs of protein to energy ratio based on standards and medical science.

Melki emphasized that the Ministry of Health must immediately expand access to innovative medicines to improve the quality of JKN health services.

Moreover, the House Commission IX also urged the Ministry of Health together with BPJS Kesehatan to evaluate the policy of providing services for mental health patients in the JKN program, including administration of paliperidone palmitate for schizophrenia, to ensure that patients with mental health illness as chronic ilness receive access to treatment including injectable drugs that have been registered on the National Formulary (Fornas), which are needed and in accordance with applicable regulations. (ssb/aha)