“Cancer Treatment and the National Health System in Indonesia: Insights and Solutions from Siloam MRCCC Semanggi Hospital”

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The government is currently trying to reduce disparities in health services, especially serious diseases such as cancer which are included in the transformation priority agenda health system national.

President Commissioner of PT Siloam International Hospitals Tbk (SILO) John Riady said cancer treatment is a priority for the health system given the high number of deaths. Not only that, according to him, cancer treatment is a national and global problem.

“Globally, cancer is the leading cause of death. From a national perspective, quality cancer treatment has not been evenly distributed, due to limited health infrastructure,” said John in a written statement in Jakarta, Sunday (28/5/2023).

So far, he continued, the world of health is still facing the scourge of cancer as one of the malignant diseases that claim millions of lives every year. Globally, nearly 10 million deaths were due to cancer in 2020.

Referring to data from the Ministry of Health, in Indonesia, 136 per 100,000 people suffer from cancer. The statistical record places Indonesia in 23rd place in Asia as a country with the most cancer sufferers.

Furthermore, of the total number of sufferers, women are much more susceptible to cancer, with a breast cancer ratio of 42 per 100,000 population with an average death rate of 17 people per 100,000 population.

Cervical cancer is the most common case affecting women with 23 cases per 100,000 population with an average death rate of 14 people per 100,000 population. Whereas for men, the highest incidence rate in Indonesia is lung cancer, which is 19 people per 100,000 population with an average death of 11 people per 100,000 population, followed by liver cancer of 12 people per 100,000 population with an average death of 8 people per 100 thousand inhabitants.

On the other hand, as one of the efforts to assist the government in strengthening the national health system, particularly in dealing with cancer, SILO has equipped its facilities with the existence of the Mochtar Riady Comprehensive Cancer Center (MRCCC), Semanggi, Jakarta.

Siloam MRCCC, John explained, is Lippo Group’s commitment to play a role in fighting cancer as the main cause of death in Indonesia. “Siloam MRCCC Semanggi Hospital is the first private hospital in Indonesia that specializes in treating cancer,” he stressed.

John said Siloam MRCCC’s goal is to close the gap in cancer knowledge and care. Through MRCCC, he continued, Lippo Group seeks to increase knowledge related to cancer, provide early detection, and become a center for health practitioners who focus on treating cancer to exchange knowledge.

Previously, the government through the Ministry of Health was targeting optimization of cancer services in 514 districts/cities in Indonesia. According to the Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin, cancer services have become a priority in the process of transforming the health system in Indonesia.

“Each pillar of health transformation has around 10-15 programs, so in total we have approximately 100 programs and one of the priorities is cancer services,” said the Minister of Health during a speech at the 2023 Siloam Oncology Summit in Jakarta, which was released by the Ministry of Health, on 22 May 2023.

The Minister of Health revealed that cancer as the number one cause of death in Indonesia needs special attention. Not only curative and rehabilitative services, the Ministry of Health prioritizes cancer services through promotive and preventive programs, especially in screening and early detection.

Currently, he continued, the health system in Indonesia is more oriented towards prevention rather than treatment. The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) through the National Health Insurance scheme guarantees free financing for early detection of 14 types of diseases at Puskesmas, one of which is the early cancer detection service program.

“The implementation of primary service transformation is through BPJS, which is currently allocating Rp. 9 trillion to finance early detection services, which includes cancer,” said the Minister of Health.