Starlink, a satellite internet network, is getting closer to being available in Indonesia but still needs cooperation between private and state companies. The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) is working together with Starlink, Elon Musk’s internet service company.
Kemenkes is partnering with Musk to bring the Starlink network to community health centers in remote, border, and island areas (DPTK). Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin emphasized the importance of this collaboration in supporting the progress of services, particularly in remote areas without internet access.
“Of the 10,000 community health centers in Indonesia, around 745 do not have internet access at all and 1,475 have limited internet access. All of them are spread across 7,000 islands in Indonesia. “It is hoped that they will have proper internet access so that the service will not be different from Puskesmas in urban areas,” said Minister of Health Budi.
Elon Musk’s response regarding the equal distribution of the Starlink network in health centers in remote areas
The inauguration of this collaboration was carried out through trials at the Sumerta Kelod Community Health Center (Pustu), Denpasar, which was also the location for the collaboration’s inauguration, and the Bungbungan Support Community Health Center (Pustu), Klungkung, which had limited internet access. Elon Musk also attended without a representative and responded to cooperation for community health centers in remote areas of Indonesia.
The presence of Starlink is expected to improve the quality of health services throughout Indonesia because of its ability to reach more community health centers in areas that have previously had geographical challenges. Elon Musk, who came wearing green Balinese Batik, said that the existence of Starlink would help many Indonesians get adequate internet access.
“I am very passionate about bringing internet connectivity to places where internet connectivity is low. “The internet is like a life saver because with the internet we can learn many things,” said Elon.
The Tabarfane Community Health Center in the Aru Islands, Maluku, which previously did not have internet access, also became a trial location and was connected online using the Starlink network. Currently, health service facilities in the Philippines, Rwanda, Mozambique and Nigeria are also using the Starlink network.
Improving the Internet with the Starlink Network Helps Health Services and Facilitates Communication
According to Minister of Health Budi, increasing internet connectivity can open up better access to health services and facilitate access to communication between regions so that reporting from health service facilities can be real time. This activity also supports the digitalization agenda for Indonesia’s health transformation.
The trial is to determine the recording of immunization data, screening for non-communicable diseases (PTM), or digital weighing of toddlers by health workers (nakes) through the Sehat IndonesiaKu Application (ASIK). Furthermore, this data will be displayed in real time via the ASIK dashboard.
It is also hoped that this infrastructure can be used for telemedicine services, teleconsultations and online patient monitoring, so that people get access to specialist services even though they live in remote and outermost areas. The costs for subscribing to and providing Starlink infrastructure by community health centers do not use the Ministry of Health’s budget, but use Health Operational Assistance (BOK) under the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) which the central government transfers to regional governments every year.
The launch and trial of Starlink was also attended by the Minister of Communication and Information, Budi Arie and the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono.
The Indonesian version of this article can be read in Gizmologi.ID
