Papua Highlands expands healthcare services and personnel

The Papua Highlands Provincial Government is contracting 61 healthcare workers for 2026 to improve medical services across eight regencies. Governor John Tabo stated that these personnel, which include doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and analysts, will be deployed to community health centers (Puskesmas), particularly in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost areas. The initiative is funded by approximately Rp1.4 billion from special autonomy funds.

Simultaneously, the Ministry of Health is working to strengthen healthcare quality in the region by facilitating partnerships between local regional general hospitals and major hospitals across Indonesia. This program aims to provide local treatment for serious conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, reducing the need for patients to be referred outside the Papua Highlands. To support this, eight regional general hospitals in the province will have their accreditation upgraded from Class D to Class C, allowing for more comprehensive specialist medical services.