Waterpauw: The people of the outer islands must have health protection

Acting Governor of West Papua Paulus Waterpauw said that people living on the outer islands of Indonesia should receive health protection through the National Health Insurance (JKN) program like other Indonesians.

BPJS Kesehatan in a written statement received in Manokwari, Saturday, stated that when he recently visited Reni Village and Fani Island in the Ayau Islands District, Raja Ampat Regency, Governor Waterpauw witnessed the distribution of JKN Cards to 11 living families. on the border with Palau.

A total of 43 residents of Kampung Reni received the JKN Card.

"Our community around Fani Island, especially Reni Village, have been registered as JKN participants and their health is guaranteed. We, the West Papua Provincial Government and the Regency / City Government continue to strive for the welfare of the community, education and health are the main things," said Waterpauw.

The visit of the Governor of Waterpauw with the Forkopimda of West Papua and the Deputy Regent of Raja Ampat Orideko Iriano Burdam to Fani Island, he said, was solely to see firsthand what are the main needs of the population living in the outermost regions of Indonesia.

On that occasion, the Head of BPJS Kesehatan Sorong Gilang Yoga Wardanu symbolically handed over the JKN Card to representatives of the Ayau Village community.

Gilang said that the Raja Ampat Regency Government is very committed to ensuring that all its people have health insurance.

Raja Ampat Regency is one of the regencies in West Papua that has received the title of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Non Cut Off.

With the JKN Card, the people of Kampung Reni are expected to no longer worry about the cost of health care when sick because it is guaranteed by the government.

Based on BPJS Health data as of June 2022, as many as 82,516 residents of Raja Ampat Regency have become JKN participants out of a total population of 66,647 people or more than 95 percent of the population in the region already has health insurance.

To note, Fani Island is one of the 88 outer islands in Indonesia.

The island which is included in the administrative area of Raja Ampat Regency is located close to the Pacific Ocean, directly adjacent to the country of Palau.

To get to this island, it takes about six hours by fast boat from Sorong City with a distance of about 300 nautical miles.

Fani Island is only guarded by members of the TNI-AL, while the closest populated area is Reni Village which is still in the Ayau Islands area.

While on Fani Island, Governor Waterpauw handed over a 77-meter-long Red and White Flag to be flown in order to celebrate the 77th Anniversary of Indonesian Independence and laid the first stone for the construction of the National Inscription Building.

SOURCE: https://papuabarat.antaranews.com/berita/17705/waterpauw-masyarakat-island-terluar-harus-dapat-perlindungan-kesehatan