One hundred thirty-five UGM’s academic community members, including lecturers, staff, and students, participated in a health check-up (posbindu) on Friday (Aug. 23) at the Balairung, UGM Central Office.
This activity, organized by the Health Promoting University (HPU) under the coordination of the Integrated Health Service Bureau, aimed to facilitate early detection of various diseases, particularly non-communicable diseases often neglected due to daily busy schedules.
The event involved a series of health check-ups, including interviews about lifestyle and medical history, measurement of height and weight to determine nutritional status, blood pressure checks, and tests for blood sugar, uric acid, and cholesterol levels.
Participants also had the opportunity to consult directly with doctors from the Gadjah Mada Medical Center (GMC UGM) and UGM Academic Hospital (RSA UGM).
The head of UGM’s Integrated Health Service Bureau, Dr. Andreasta Meliala, explained that posbindu was held at UGM’s central office to facilitate regular health check-ups for the academic community.
“Posbindu is designed to make regular health check-ups more accessible for employees, lecturers, and students at the central office. It is hoped that awareness of the importance of early detection and disease prevention will increase,” said Dr. Andreasta in his statement to the media on Wednesday (Aug. 28).
This Posbindu recorded 135 participants who underwent health examinations covering essential aspects such as nutritional status, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and uric acid levels.
Special attention was given to uric acid and cholesterol tests, as previous months’ results indicated many participants with elevated levels in these areas.
Participants expressed concerns about the health results and received recommendations and referrals for further consultations at UGM’s health facilities.
“Examination results are thoroughly evaluated, and follow-up actions are provided to ensure each individual receives the necessary attention,” he added.
Posbindu is planned to be held regularly every month. However, the organizers continue to assess the effectiveness and response to this initiative.
“If needed, we will consider increasing the frequency or expanding the scope of the check-ups to reach more individuals and enhance the benefits for the entire academic community,” he added.
In addition to the central office, posbindu is also conducted in various faculties and other units at UGM. The implementation follows the same format but is tailored to each unit’s capacity and needs.
This reflects UGM’s continuous efforts to ensure equal access to health check-ups for the entire academic community.
Collaboration with GMC UGM and RSA UGM is crucial to posbindu’s success. GMC and RSA support doctor consultation services and contribute accurate examination results and proper medical recommendations.
“The response from participants has been very positive. Many appreciate the convenience of the health check-ups provided through posbindu. Feedback shows that this activity greatly helps raise personal health awareness and promote a healthy lifestyle on campus,” he noted.
On the same occasion, Dr. Hempri Suyatna, Secretary of the Directorate of Student Affairs, who also participated in this posbindu, shared his thoughts.
“I think activities like this are beneficial as a preventive measure to maintain the health of lecturers and staff at UGM. Daily work must be balanced with good stamina and fitness,” he said.
Dr. Suyatna also emphasized the importance of regular health check-ups for employees, lecturers, and students at UGM. He mentioned that this initiative serves to prevent diseases from an early stage and should be continued on a larger and more regular scale, for instance, every one or two months.
“The number of services should also be increased, and each faculty should promote it,” he added.
UGM remains committed to maintaining the health and well-being of its academic community. Plans include adding more types of examinations and services offered through posbindu, such as mental health screenings and early detection of certain diseases.
With regular posbindu events, UGM aims to actively support the health of its academic community and foster a healthier and more productive campus environment.
Author: Dita
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif