VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Health Ministry has placed screening tools for early detection of the risk of stunting and intellectual disability in newborns at four referral hospitals in Indonesia.

Director-General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health Abdul Kadir said that the device was expected to increase the inspection capacity of each hospital to reach 2,400 tests per day.

"This screening is intended to give early treatment for patients so that they can grow up normally," he stated on Sunday.

The tools are called Genetic Screening Processor (GSP) and DBS Puncher PerkinElmer that the Ministry of Health received from a grant of PT UBC Medical Indonesia on May 21.

The tool is used to screen for congenital hypothyroid syndrome in newborns to prevent stunting and intellectual disability.

Congenital hypothyroidism is a condition of decreased or non-functioning thyroid gland since newborn. This congenital hypothyroidism can cause children to.get stunted growth and intellectual disability.

In line with the government's policy to reduce stunting, this year's congenital hypothyroid screening will begin to be accessed by all newborns in Indonesia through the National Health Insurance (JKN) program.

The screening can be carried out at health facilities that have collaborated with the State-owned Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) in all regions.

PerkinElmer's GSP and DBS Puncher tools are used to examine TSH levels from dried blood droplet samples taken from the.newborns.

The sample is then sent to the referral laboratory for congenital hypothyroid screening examination which currently exists in four referral hospitals -- RSUPN Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital Jakarta, RSUP Dr. Hasan Sadikin Bandung, RSUP Dr. Sardjito Yogyakarta, and RSUD Dr. Soetomo Surabaya.

Kadir says a TSH level of less than 20 U/mL is indicated normal in newborn.

"Increasing the inspection capacity is very important to achieve the screening target set by the government," he continued.

The ceremonial grant for the GSP and DBS Puncher PerkinElmer devices was held on May 21 from PT UBC Medical Indonesia to the four hospitals.

The grant ceremony was held in conjunction with a working meeting of the Directorate General of Health Services which was attended by all representatives of Government Hospitals.

The handover of the tools.to the directors of receiving hospitals was.carried out by the Commissioner of PT UBC Medical Indonesia, Nathan Tirtana. Director General of Health Services Abdul Kadir attended the.event. (Antaranews)