Surpassing Budget Constraints, Samarinda's HIV Screening Success Evaluated by Ministry of Health

Despite facing budget limitations, Samarinda City managed to record an HIV screening achievement of 99.2 percent, drawing attention and direct evaluation from the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

Oleh Andi Wijaya 22 Jul 2026 2 menit baca 💬 0 komentar

Sumber: eksposkaltim.com

The Samarinda City Health Office carved a brilliant achievement in meeting the Minimum Service Standards (SPM) in the health sector, especially the HIV control program. The success in exceeding the screening target by up to 99.2 percent amid budget limitations has attracted the attention of the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) to conduct direct supervision and analysis in the field.

A five-member team from the Directorate General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the Indonesian Ministry of Health visited Samarinda to study the tactical strategies implemented by the local government. The Head of the Samarinda City Health Office, Ismed Kusasih, explained that the efficient management of a minimal budget that still yielded a macro SPM achievement of 99.8 percent was the main attraction for the central government.

The main focus of this evaluation is directed at the HIV screening methods implemented in Samarinda. Out of a target of around 59,000 target populations last year, the local Health Office staff managed to screen 99.2 percent of them. This early detection is considered crucial for tracking new cases more quickly to minimize the risk of mortality due to HIV.

Entering the middle of this year, the screening progress is reported to remain on track, reaching around 45 percent of the annual projection by May. Of the approximately 19,000 residents who underwent testing, 180 people were confirmed positive for HIV, with 140 of them having agreed to access routine treatment regimens.

Ismed guaranteed that all testing services and medicines for HIV patients are provided free of charge by the central government. Access to this medical treatment is widely available in community health centers (puskesmas) as well as private hospitals and clinics that have officially partnered with the Samarinda Health Office, with strict guarantees of patient identity confidentiality.

Although facilities and medicines are well-provided, the biggest obstacle in the field at present is the social stigma that is still strongly attached to HIV sufferers. The public's fear of getting tested is much greater compared to testing for other common diseases, prompting the Health Office to commit to expanding education that early detection can extend patients' life expectancy before entering the clinical phase of AIDS.