The Number of Community Health Centers (Puskesmas) in Indonesia is Increasing

The number of community health centers (Puskesmas) in Indonesia has been increasing every year. The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) reported that there were 10,205 Puskesmas in Indonesia in 2020. These Puskesmas consisted of 4,119 inpatient Puskesmas and 6,086 outpatient Puskesmas.

The number of Puskesmas increased by 0.7% from 2019, which was 10,134 units, with 4,048 inpatient and 6,086 outpatient Puskesmas. The increase in the number of Puskesmas reflects the government's efforts to improve access to primary healthcare services.

This is in line with the Minister of Health Regulation Number 43 of 2019 concerning Puskesmas. This regulation states that Puskesmas function to organize public and individual health efforts at the primary level. Furthermore, Puskesmas prioritize promotive and preventive efforts in the surrounding areas.

However, the distribution of Puskesmas is still uneven in Indonesia. There are still provinces where not all Puskesmas in their regions are accessible to the public.

These provinces include West Papua, which has a Puskesmas-to-subdistrict ratio of 0.7. This is followed by Papua Province with a ratio of 0.8. A ratio below one indicates that not all subdistricts have a Puskesmas.