Yudhoyono explained that the government had carefully considered incentives for doctors and medical workers according to the nation`s financial capability.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered a number of ministers to draw up regulations on incentives for doctors and medical workers following the implementation of national social security system (SJSN) on January 1.

"I have assigned relevant ministers to team up with the management of BPJS (Social Insurance Management Agency) for Health and the leadership of IDI (Indonesian Medical Association) to draw up regulations. This way the SJSN services can be provided and incentives for doctors and medical workers can be distributed properly," he stated at the Presidential Office, here on Wednesday.

The President noted that the Coordinating Minister for Peoples Welfare Agung Laksono will lead the team to draw up the regulations within two or three weeks, under the supervision of Vice President Boediono.

Yudhoyono explained that the government had carefully considered incentives for doctors and medical workers according to the nations financial capability.

However, during discussions after the implementation of the health insurance program, several problems, including the amount of incentives and timely distribution of incentives, had come up, he stated.

"Therefore, I insist that we need to issue extra regulations as a supplement to the existing rules to ensure that the incentives will reach those entitled on time and in accurate amounts," he emphasized.

The President had personally observed the implementation of the health insurance program in the field during his visit to Surabaya, East Java, recently.

He added that the health services provided at the locations he had visited had been good even though the number of patients were quite large.

The President officially launched the operation of BPJS and the implementation of SJSN at Bogor Palace on Dec 31, 2013.

The operation of BPJS and the implementation of SJSN began on January 1, 2014.

The government has allocated Rp19.93 trillion in the 2014 state budget for the health insurance program, in an effort to protect the 86.4 million poor and unemployed people.

More than 35 million civil servants, police personnel and employees of state-owned companies have joined the health insurance program.

In total, 121.6 million Indonesians have joined the program, and 125 million others are expected to follow soon.

Meanwhile, the other citizens will contribute by paying monthly premiums at affordable prices, in order to obtain health insurance.

The insurance scheme will enable to serve better justice, especially for the poor, as they will now be covered by health insurance.

According to the President, the government has set up 12 government regulations of five presidential decrees to support the implementation of the social welfare programs.

The implementation of the program is the embodiment of the Law 40/2004 on the SJSN and the Law 24/2011 on the BPJS. (*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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