Health minister meets president to discuss free check-up program

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin visited the Presidential Palace to confer with President Prabowo Subianto regarding the free health check-up (PKG) program for residents celebrating their birthdays.

"I would like to know an update on when he plans to launch it," Sadikin remarked during his visit to the Jakarta Presidential Palace here on Wednesday.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Health has begun promoting this program within the community. In its initial stage, it will first be implemented at local health facilities, or puskesmas.

Minister Sadikin expressed optimism that this program could be rolled out soon, akin to the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program launched in January 2025.

For the PKG program, President Prabowo has allocated a budget of Rp4.7 trillion, or around US$303.2 million, aiming to reach 60 million Indonesians starting this year.

This program is one of the three quick-win programs in the health sector announced by President Prabowo.

Moreover, the program is a priority and aims to benefit people of all ages.

PKG aims to prevent diseases across various age demographics and reduce deaths caused by cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases.

The Ministry of Health has also started promoting the PKG program by inviting the community to download the SatuSehat application, which is currently being developed.

The app allows users to input their personal information, choose a date for their check-up, and obtain an examination ticket.

After registration, users will receive a notification from the app about their examination schedule.

When visiting the local health facility, residents must present personal identification documents, such as ID cards or family cards, along with their examination ticket.