No Need to Panic: COVID-19 Cases Rise but New Variants are Mild
- Freepik
Jakarta, VIVA – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto called Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (June 3).
During the meeting, the Health Minister provided an update on various national health issues, including the latest COVID-19 situation and the progress of the government’s free health check-up program.
Regarding the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, Minister Budi emphasized that the public should remain calm.
“These are relatively non-lethal variants. So there's no need to worry too much or panic,” said the Minister.
Menteri Kesehatan (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin
- Dok Kemenkes
He also reported on the acceleration of the government’s plan to build 66 new hospitals.
Originally scheduled over five years, the plan has now been expedited to just two years, with 32 hospitals to be constructed in 2025.
“This year, we plan to build 32 hospitals and another 34 next year. Out of the 32, 16 have already begun groundbreaking. Hopefully, they can be completed this year. The rest will follow soon," minister Sadikin stated.
He continued: "There was a minor budget reallocation that needed the President's approval, and he has already agreed. It’s not an increase in budget, just a shift in allocation to support quick wins."
The free health check-up program, one of the President's key health initiatives, has also shown significant progress.
As of early June 2025, around 7.8 million Indonesians have received free health screenings.
“Currently, we’re reaching 200,000 people per day. That’s around 5 million people per month,” he added.
This program will be expanded to schools starting this month and next, aiming to reach up to 50 million Indonesians.
The Minister also reported several health issues identified during the screenings.
“For infants, we’re seeing a high number of congenital heart defects. Among toddlers, dental problems are prevalent. In adults, hypertension and diabetes are the main issues—also in the elderly,” he noted.
Minister Sadikin also highlighted positive developments in tuberculosis (TB) screening.
