Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Health targets 50% of community health centers, known locally as Puskesma, to provide mental health services by 2025, as part of efforts to improve national mental healthcare access.

Currently, only 40% of Puskesmas offer such services, unevenly distributed nationwide,  Imran Pambudi, tge Director of Mental Health at the Ministry, said on Friday (13/12/2024)

“We aim for at least five Puskesmas in each urban area to provide mental health support, ensuring better accessibility,” he said, as quoted by antaranews.com..

The Ministry plans to increase coverage to 70% by 2026 but faces significant challenges, including a shortage of psychologists and psychiatrists. 

“Some provinces have only one psychologist, while 60–70% of specialists are concentrated in Jakarta,” he added.

The Ministry is also rolling out the Psychological First Aid (P3LP) initiative, training one million individuals to deliver basic mental health support. 

“This equips everyday people to handle initial psychological issues before patients receive professional help,” Imran explained.

Another hurdle is medication availability. Essential drugs, like long-acting haloperidol for schizophrenia, require local government procurement. The Ministry has urged regional health offices to allocate budgets for these supplies.

(mg/ndt/hn/nm)