Kotabaru prepares 1,500 KIS to replace relief letters

Kotabaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Kotabaru District Government in its 2022 budget (APBD) prepares to pay dues for 1,500 Healthy Indonesia Card (KIS) for its citizens as a substitute for letter of incapacity or relief letter (SKTM).

"We prepare about 1,500 citizens to be included in the KIS data through Social Agency to be recorded at the Kotabaru Helth Agency," said the Kotabaru DPRD Speaker Sairi Mukhlis here on Wednesday.

Through this program, the district government seeks to improve the health level of the people of Bumi Saijaan (Kotabaru's nickname).

The pandemic condition has caused the limitation of the issuance of relief letters, which are usually used for medical treatment for poor families. Then it is replaced with KIS which is funded by state budget (APBN) and local budget (APBD).

DPRD speaker said that in the 2022 APBD Kotabaru allocates around Rp164.754 billion or 12.87 percent of the total budget, excluding salaries.

"Although the law requires only 10 percent, the 12.87 percent that we have allocated is actually not enough," he expounded.

This is considering the geographical area of Kotabaru which consists of islands, that caused, with the amount of funds allocated for health, some people still do not get maximum health services.

"I often witness still many people who have not received health services, one of which is due the geographical limitation. There are areas where they may have no health facilities such as puskesmas (community health center), while in the weak condition they cannot go to the city for treatment," he said.

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