A team of UGM students participating in the Community Service Program (KKN-PPM) organized a public health checkup in Mamburungan Subdistrict, Tarakan Timur, Tarakan City, North Kalimantan.
The program offered free medical examinations aimed at monitoring community health and screening for non-communicable diseases directly in the local area.
Desy, an undergraduate student of the Nursing Science Program at UGM and the activity coordinator, explained that the health initiative, named Cekatan (Cek Kesehatan Masyarakat Kelurahan Mamburungan), targeted residents and the elderly across three service points: Posyandu Lansia Tanjung Pasir, Posyandu Lansia Mamburungan, and Posbindu Mamburungan.
Services provided included blood pressure measurement, blood sugar, uric acid, and cholesterol checks, accompanied by brief interviews and health education. The students also distributed educational brochures for participants to study further at home.
“This program was carried out to raise public awareness and concern for their health, particularly in early detection of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, high uric acid, and high cholesterol. We hope this will encourage the community to pay closer attention to their health,” said Desy on Thursday (Aug. 14).
All examination results were recorded and submitted to the local community health center (Puskesmas) as health data for Mamburungan residents. For participants with abnormal results recorded three times or more, the Puskesmas provided immediate initial treatment.
“Residents who had never or rarely undergone health checks were found to have high blood pressure, blood sugar, uric acid, and cholesterol levels,” she added.
Overall, the free health checkup program is expected not only to provide immediate medical benefits but also to serve as an initial step toward fostering a sustainable culture of health awareness in the Mamburungan community.
Reporter: KKN Team in Mamburungan/Firzanah Nuraini
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photographs: KKN Team in Mamburungan