The Free Health Check (CKG) program initiated by the Samarinda City Government through the integration of the Satu Sehat application has actually attracted the interest of tens of thousands of residents. Until mid-2026, the Samarinda Health Office (Dinkes) recorded 28,000 registrants with an examination completion rate reaching 90 percent. Although the participation figures look quite progressive administratively, the local government assesses that public awareness to undergo early detection is still not optimal.
Head of Samarinda Health Office, Ismed Kusasih, revealed that the main obstacle in this program is not infrastructure or medical logistics, but rather the psychological resistance of the public. Many residents are still reluctant to undergo health checks because they fear diagnostic results that might indicate the presence of a disease. In fact, health screening is a crucial instrument in early prevention before health conditions worsen.
In addition to the public's fear, operational challenges also overshadow the program's effectiveness at the primary care level. The limited number of human resources at community health centers (puskesmas) is a real obstacle, considering that health workers must split their focus between serving the time-consuming CKG examinations and other routine daily services, such as midwifery services and integrated healthcare center (posyandu) activities.
Despite being faced with a heavy workload, Ismed emphasized that CKG services remain stable and scheduled across all health centers in Kota Tepian. The availability of logistics and basic laboratory testing equipment is guaranteed to be in safe condition to ensure the smooth running of the program. The Health Office continues to urge the public to cast aside their fears and begin making early detection a priority for the sake of long-term health management effectiveness.
