VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 1 - The Communication and Informatics Ministry is unswervingly working toward boosting synergy with digital health services providers and related stakeholders following a rise in users of such services to avail consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to push forward telemedicine (digital health services) channels and digital independent consulting services to become an alternative solution for people to get treatments," Secretary-General of the Communication and Informatics Ministry, Mira Tayyiba, stated during the launch event of a telemedicine app held virtually on Monday.

"To this end, the ministry strives to strengthen synergy with telemedicine providers and other related stakeholders," she remarked.

Such a measure is perceived as being crucial on account of the swift growth in digitalization in the health sector.

Citing data of the Central Agency for Statistics, Tayyiba affirmed that the communication and informatics as well as the health services sectors had clocked the highest growth in 2020, at 10.58 percent and 11.6 percent respectively, on a year-on-year basis.

To this end, the ministry’s secretary-general called for ushering in development of the digital health ecosystem in Indonesia to promote equal access to health services for the people, including to expedite vaccination across the nation.

In terms of infrastructure development, the Ministry reportedly ensured that access to internet was available at all health service facilities (fasyankes) in Indonesia through the Telecommunication and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI). "Internet access was provided to 3,126 health facilities at the end of last year. With this figure, internet access in available at 13,011 health facilities across Indonesia," she remarked.

In connection with steps to fortify the broader telemedicine ecosystem, the Ministry, in collaboration with "Good Doctor" and "GrabHealth" platforms, has launched the teledokter and independent health check features on the PeduliLindung app at the end of 2020.

The ministry is optimistic that digital transformation of health services, through such collaborations, would rapidly usher in national and economic recovery. (Antaranews)