Human Development Index in 2015 ranked Indonesia at 110 places of 188 states. This showed the problem facing the country. Education and health are still the basis to build quality human resource.
“Like plants, to get quality fruit we need good seeds, good soil, and professional farmers. The quality of Indonesian human resource will be good if we prepare them well since the inception, raising them well in good surroundings with professional people nurturing them,” said medical professor from UGM, Prof.Dr.dr. Sutaryo, Sp.AK., on Wednesday (21/12).
Prof. Sutaryo described the problems on Indonesian human resource quality, such as low life expectancy, high birth mortality, stunting, and health services.
“Not all provinces in the country can afford to meet adequate health services. Many regions and communities in the isolated areas don’t have access yet to health services,” he said.
Previously, Sutaryo discussed this issue during the 67th anniversary of Universitas Gadjah (19/12). He added the Healthy Lifestyle Campaign (GERMAS) has the strategic role to realise a healthy Indonesia, starting from the president to rural people.
Learning a lesson from history, he explained that the health programme that works best is done through command system. An example of this is the eradication of malaria in the era of Soekarno with the establishment of Malaria Eradication Command (KOPEM) that can eradicate the disease in five years. Other examples are smallpox, polio vaccines, family planning, and establishment of community health centres. For this purpose, a command system is required which is put into a Presidential Instruction to implement the Healthy Lifestyle Campaign.
Sutaryo thinks the movement is best to work through education. Health education in family, society and school is important as the pillar of healthy life culture. The main role is in the hands of the mother and teacher, so the education of mothers and teachers should be the government’s main programme.
“Childhood period is the golden period to build a healthy culture. Teacher, after mother, is the best person to make healthy culture a reality,” said Prof. Taryo.
Besides, the government’s role is also needed to build cooperation with academics, businessmen, and society to create organisational reforms. Coordination between health institutions needs to be reformed to secure availability of drugs and health equipment.