Dedicated Health Officers in the Remote Places of Papua

To improve health access in Papua, especially in remote places, there should be assignment of medical workers or health officers in proper number in these remote places. Therefore, the Papuan people in remote places will have access to medical help. To ensure health access, the Public Health Officer in Yapen Island Regency has assigned more health officers in the coastal areas. The Health officers that are being assigned will provide health services for the villager in these locations. This program has been carried out in the last three years.

“There are two health officers that are currently being assigned in Miosindi. Hence, every village will have health officers that are assigned specifically in that area to give medical services to the villagers.” Said Head of Public Health Office in Yapen Island Regency, Efraim Aloysius Osok, cited from AntaraPapua.

Although the medication services and facilities are still lacking in the Community Health Centers of the coastal areas, the health officers that are being assigned are dedicated to do their best in providing the best health services. Thanks to this program, every villages in Yapen Island Regency currently have available health officers. Health access in remote places like coastal areas in Yapen Island Regency are important. These areas still have no adequate health services, hence they are prone to a health problems. Therefore, assigning a health officer will help these areas to get medical services for their health problems.

Health access in Papua is one of the top priorities of the Indonesian Government. Although there are still places that are lacking of health access in Papua, the government has started to really focus in pushing forward to make improvements. One of the government’s solution for these challenges is by building a referral hospital. The referral hospital will provide a better health access in Papua. Hence, people from remote places can get better quality health access in Papua. 

Assigning an officer in remote places is a part of the improvement of health access in Papua. Hence, it is hoped that by doing people who lived in the remote places can get a first aid medical services for their health problems. These assigned health officers are commendable for giving their service in remote places that many will avoid. Hopefully, the health access in Papua will be greatly improved by these dedicated health officers.