Government Expands Access to Disease Prevention Through Free Health Checks
By: Bagas Pratama Adi
The Free Health Check (CKG) program, initiated by the government under President Prabowo Subianto since early 2025, has proven to be significantly successful in transforming healthcare services in Indonesia.
The program has opened up widespread access for all people to free health checks, without the need to worry about costs or administrative costs. With a preventative and early detection approach, CKG shifts the national health paradigm from simply treating illnesses to routine check-ups.
Since its launch in February, the program has reached nearly 30 million beneficiaries in 38 provinces. The Ministry of Health noted that out of a total of 32 million registrants, 29.8 million people have been tested. This figure demonstrates the public’s enthusiasm for the free healthcare services now available at more than 10,000 community health centers (Puskesmas) across the country.
The positive response has been evident in various regions. In Bojonegoro, residents feel the benefit of being able to comprehensively assess their health status. A housewife, Rubiati, expressed relief after learning her blood sugar, cholesterol, and uric acid levels thanks to the service. This community voice confirmed that the CKG program is right on target, as it addresses the community’s real need for affordable health checks.
The Director General of Primary and Community Health at the Ministry of Health, Maria Endang Sumiwi, stated that the program involves more than 10,200 community health centers (Puskesmas), covering nearly all primary health facilities in Indonesia.
She explained that daily participation reaches 600,000 people, with 500,000 of them successfully tested each day. The majority of participants are women, at 57.5 percent, while men account for 42.5 percent.
Regionally, Central Java, East Java, and West Java recorded the highest participation rates. Conversely, Papua, West Papua, and the Papua Highlands remain the provinces with the lowest participation rates. According to Maria, the government is committed to promoting equitable service distribution so that provinces with low participation can quickly catch up.
Appreciation also came from the President Director of the Social Security Administration for Health (BPJS Kesehatan), Ali Ghufron Mukti. He assessed that the CKG program aligns with BPJS’s efforts to strengthen health screening through Mobile JKN.
According to him, the program has been able to increase the number of patients seeking treatment at primary healthcare facilities. With early detection, patients can receive prompt treatment before their condition worsens, thereby reducing the number of complications and saving long-term medical costs.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB), Purwadi Arianto, inspected the implementation of the CKG at the Simpang Kawat Community Health Center (Puskesmas) in Jambi. He emphasized that health is a basic right that must be guaranteed by the state to improve the quality of life for the community.
During the visit, he expressed his appreciation to the health workers and local government officials who have implemented the program effectively, quickly, and in a friendly manner. Purwadi assessed that the services at the community health center reflect a spirit of inclusivity, where all residents, from infants to the elderly, receive examinations tailored to their needs.
The CKG program is not just about providing health check-ups. Its scope is comprehensive, ranging from nutritional screenings for infants and toddlers, obesity and dental health screenings for adolescents, hypertension and obesity detection in adults, and degenerative disease prevention in the elderly. In schools, the program even includes reproductive health and psychosocial screenings, further emphasizing the importance of mental health from an early age.
From a public policy perspective, the CKG deserves praise for its ability to bridge the gap in access to healthcare. Many people who were previously reluctant to seek medical attention due to cost or fear of test results now feel more comfortable and are willing to undergo health check-ups.
This new paradigm is crucial, as prevention is far more effective than treatment. With early detection, the risk of serious illness can be reduced, life expectancy increases, and the community’s quality of life is maintained.
The positive impact of the CKG is felt not only by individuals but also by the nation. With increased early detection, the typically inflated cost of treatment in hospitals can be significantly reduced.
