UNAIR NEWS – In the commemoration of World Health Day on Sunday, April 4, 2019, Dr. Rachmat Hargono, dr., M.S., M.PH, Head of Community Health Study Unit Faculty of Public Health Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) criticized the public mindset regarding health that has not changed, particularly, people who live in areas that are easy to access health services.
According to the lecturer who is familiarly called Dr. Rachmat, there is still “sick” paradigm. They use health services such as puskesmas and hospitals only when they are sick. Even so, the community and the government must bear a very expensive burden.
“Curative and rehabilitative health services require sophisticated equipment, so the cost for these services is quite expensive,” said Dr. Rachmat.
In addition, the pattern of disease is also shifting along with the people’s lifestyles. In the past most of the diseases experienced by Indonesian people were infectious diseases, now it has shifted to degenerative diseases. Disease caused by the lifestyle which is actually preventable.
“People know that now many diseases nowadays are precisely diseases that can be prevented. Diseases associated with the behavior of the community itself,” said Dr. Rachmat.
But because the community is still oriented towards treatment efforts, the government must also compensate. So that health services are still directed at curative and rehabilitative efforts rather than preventive and promotive efforts.
The community are still not aware that they can utilize health services for promotive and preventive efforts. Activities that lead to improved health status and prevention of disease.
For example, the community can come to puskesmas not for treatment but to check their health status. Thus, health problems can be prevented as early as possible so that people are not easily sick.
According to Dr. Rachmat, the discourse of Indonesian government that shift its healthy paradigm since 2000 must be promoted more to change people’s lifestyles. One of the government programs that can be optimized to make this happen is the healthy community movement program (GERMAS).
“When the community has a healthy paradigm, the number of curative and rehabilitative health services can be reduced. So, the government will also be more flexible to give equal health services to remote areas, “he explained.
Not only the government and health workers who must promote this. UNAIR students and academics can also help changing the community paradigm to not get sick.
One way is to change yourself, by trying to live healthy, eat balanced nutritious foods and prioritize promotive and preventive efforts.
“If you are able to live a healthy life, then start asking the closest people to take part in it so you can reach out to the community and transmit a healthy lifestyle,” explained Dr. Rachmat.
Author: Galuh Mega Kurnia
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
