Residents of Paminggir District, North Hulu Sungai Regency, South Kalimantan, now have closer access to eye health services. Located in a challenging wetland area, the presence of the Vision Center at the Paminggir Public Health Center (Puskesmas) serves as a solution to the geographical constraints that have historically prevented residents from receiving adequate medical care.
Previously, local residents had to travel by water for an hour to the Danau Panggang Port, then continue by land for 20 kilometers to Amuntai City just to get an eye check-up. These access challenges often caused residents to delay examinations, even though the need for eye health services in the area is relatively high.
CSR Section Head of PT Adaro Indonesia, Aan Nurhadi, revealed that this initiative emerged after finding a high number of cataract patients coming from Paminggir District. Through coordination with the Ministry of Health and the North Hulu Sungai Regency Government, the Vision Center was finally established to ensure equal health services for people in remote areas.
The Head of the North Hulu Sungai Regency Health Office, Mochammad Yandi Friyadi, welcomed the operations of this facility. He emphasized that the presence of the Vision Center significantly cuts costs and time for residents who want to undergo initial examinations, such as refraction to detect nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
The enthusiasm of the residents was evident on the first day of operation, with a total of 82 people receiving eye examinations. This facility, which is the first Vision Center in Kalimantan with official status from the Ministry of Health, also received support in the form of 500 eyeglasses intended for students in the area.
