Posyandu Now Provides Services for Diabetes Patients

High job demand, unhealthy eating pattern, and lazy to exercise are the lifestyles of most urban society nowadays. As a result, such habits make them prone to diabetes. In Jakarta, diabetes landed on third place as a cause of death disease that is not infectious.

In Jakarta, diabetes becomes the third highest cause of death after cardiac and hypertension

To anticipate high diabetes patients, one of the ways done by Jakarta Health Department is by providing blood sugar testing facility in integrated health services posts (posyandu). With routine blood test and counseling on diabetes, it is expected that the people would wake up and immediately hold on the healthy lifestyle.

“In Jakarta, diabetes becomes the third highest cause of death after cardiac and hypertension. Cardiac is 40 percent, hypertension 30 percent, and diabetes 16.6 percent,” revealed Head of Jakarta Health Department, Dien Emmawati, on the sidelines of Indonesia Diabetes Leadership Forum, Thursday (11/13).

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Moreover, Emmawati explained that diabetes can hit anyone, especially urban societies whose lifestyle and eating habit are unhealthy. Because of that, her department took some preventive measures, such as counseling, empowering healthcare cadres, until providing blood sugar testing facility in posyandu.

“From the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of medicine producers, we’ve provided trainings to cadres thus they can detect the cause of diabetes early. I also want to add tables in posyandu in a bid to find out the risks of non-infectious diseases, such as diabetes, cardiac or hypertension. The equipment for it is being prepared now,” she uttered.

According to Emmawati, all community health centers (puskesmas) in Jakarta now have been equipped with medical service for diabetes.

“The service includes consultation, medication, until treatment for people with diabetes. Even the slightest wound could end up fatal if diabetes patient did not know how to handle it,” she told.

Meanwhile, Acting Jakarta Governor Basuki ‘Ahok’ T Purnama stressed that Jakarta Provincial Government is very committed to protecting the health of Jakarta residents. Thus, in that occasion the city administration also signed an agreement with companies that produce medicines.

“We want their CSRs to improve the ability of healthcare services and also add knowledge to the public on how to prevent diabetes. We will also build six parks. Those parks will have posyandu, sports venue, library, and children’s playground. This is very useful for Jakartans who are already preoccupied with work every day,” he stated.