Banyuwangi Regent, Ipuk Fiestiandani, shared various innovations and breakthroughs in first-level health services successfully implemented in her region at the national health forum Leimena Conference in Jakarta on Monday (27/7/2026). In the regional leaders' discussion session ('leaders talk') opened by Deputy Minister of Health dr. Benjamin Paulus Octavianus, Ipuk stood alongside several other regional heads, including Mayor of Bandung Muhammad Farhan and Regent of Dharmasraya Annisa Suci Ramadhani.
In front of health practitioners and experts, Ipuk acknowledged the various challenges faced by Banyuwangi, ranging from fiscal constraints, human resources (HR) limitations, to supporting infrastructure. Nevertheless, these limitations actually triggered the regional government to create creative solutions to optimize the role of community health centers (puskesmas) as the vanguard.
One of the concrete steps carried out by the Banyuwangi Regency Government is the transformation of community health centers into the 'Healthy People's Mall'. The program, which has been running since 2018, focuses on preventive measures by encouraging residents to perform routine health checks before falling ill. This step is considered effective in reducing medical treatment costs and is in line with the Free Health Check (CKG) program initiated by the central government.
The latest breakthrough presented is 'Oasis Wangi', a free 24-hour health consultation service via the WhatsApp application, resulting from a collaboration with Noora Health. The service, which was just launched by the Minister of Health last week, allows the public to consult directly with medical personnel at any time. In addition, Banyuwangi also expanded service access to remote areas through the 'Jemput Bola Rawat Warga' (active resident care outreach) program as well as the provision of village standby fleets.
To support the effectiveness of the programs, the local government also reorganized the division of tasks at the puskesmas level while increasing incentives for health workers. The Leimena Conference itself is an annual event that brings together global health activists and experts to honor the services of national hero Dr. Johannes Leimena, the figure who initiated the puskesmas concept in Indonesia.
