PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Bandung City Government is expanding access to health services through community health centers (Puskesmas) so that residents receive fast, friendly, and quality services.

This effort was discussed by the Secretary of the Bandung City Health Service, Ira Dewi Jani, in the Sonata Talkshow (2/9/2026).

Ira explained that the Community Health Center for All concept ensures that all residents have equal opportunities to access health services.

The service uses a life cycle approach, so that people can receive services from birth to old age.

"The Community Health Center for All aims to ensure that all residents of Bandung have equal access to healthcare services. So, it's not just about coming to the community health center when they're sick, but about how people remember the community health center to maintain and check their health," Ira explained.

The Community Health Center currently carries out five health efforts, namely promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative to meet the needs of residents.

Services are also brought closer through schools, workplaces, business premises, community groups, mobile health centers, and integrated health posts.

Mobile health centers help residents who are constrained by time, location, or transportation to obtain health services.

"If people can't come to the community health center due to time or location issues, we will come through the mobile community health center mechanism," he said.

Posyandu also implements a life cycle approach with health screening and immunization services for various age groups.

In addition to physical health, the Bandung City Government provides clinical psychologists in 12 Regional Technical Implementation Units of Community Health Centers.

The Bandung City Government also launched Bandung Utama Bagja Sararea (Bangbara) (25/6/2026) to facilitate access to professional psychological counseling.

This service helps people obtain mental health support while expanding the scope of health services according to residents' needs.

Bandung City also has two community health centers with 24-hour service, namely Ibrahim Aji Community Health Center and Garuda Community Health Center.

Outpatient services are available until the evening for residents who have limited time to access health services during working hours.

Certain emergency services are also available 24 hours a day depending on the capacity of primary healthcare facilities.

From a supervisory perspective, Member of Commission IV of the Bandung City DPRD, Agung Firmansyah Sumantri, assessed that service quality determines public trust.

"Trust comes from experience. People naturally want to come to a community health center, be welcomed, served promptly, have their concerns listened to, be examined professionally, and receive easy-to-understand explanations," Agung said.

Agung emphasized that the development of community health centers must be accompanied by the provision of facilities, infrastructure, medical equipment, medicines, accessibility, and human resources.

"We mustn't have a beautiful community health center building, but the public still faces long queues or unavailable medication. The principle is to repair the building and equip it with equipment, but also strengthen human resources and improve services," he said.

According to Agung, all residents of Bandung City have the same right to obtain health services without distinction based on their area of residence.

"Every citizen of Bandung City must have the same right to receive health services," he stressed.

The Bandung City Government also encourages screening based on age and risk factors so that health problems can be identified and treated early.

"The paradigm must change. Community health centers truly are close to the community, not only when they're sick, but also when they're healthy, to check on and assess their health," Ira concluded.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/bhf)