PRESIDENT CALLS FOR REFORM OF HEALTH SERVICES

Cirebon, Jan 26 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here Tuesday called for a shift in the paradigm of community health services from medication to prevention.

"Reform efforts must be made to change the public health paradigm of merely treating the sick to establishing a system, a program and leadership so that people will not easily fall ill and seek medication," he said when dedicating a number of infrastructure projects in Cirebon, West Java, on Tuesday.

He said the government had already switched the budget for health programs for preventing diseases and helping the sick.

After the dedication ceremony held at the gate of a newly-completed toll road project the head of state visited a community health care center in Larangan, Kecapi, in the subdistrict of Harjamukti, Cirebon, which has been declared as the best community health care center at a provincial level in 2008, city-level in 2007 and a national level in 2008.

The health care center led by Dr Siska receives around 300 patients every day and has seven midwives and 40 employees. It provides services from child and maternity health service to lung and HIV counseling and dental health service.

During the visit President Yudhoyono also took an opportunity to talk with several mothers who were just seeking a health service at the center.

To them he said that the government had a task of continuing to improve community health service.

"The state and the government including provicial, district and city adminstrations as well as local health services across the country have a task and obligation to keep improving health service," he said.

With the visit he said he wished to assure that the community health care center will not only treat those who are ill. "Puskesmas (community health care centers) with its network must also prevent the people from becoming ill. So prevention is important. We must treat the sick but it should be done only after prevention efforts have been carried out well," he said.

On the occasion President Yudhoyono also emphasized the importance of maintaining the living environment with regard to preventing diseases.

The head of state was accompanied by first lady Mrs Ani Yudhoyono and several cabinet ministers during the visit.