Jayapura — The Head of the Indonesian Ombudsman Representative Office for Papua Province, Yohanes Rusmanta, stated that many members of the public still do not understand the procedures for using BPJS Healthcare services. He conveyed this during a public dialogue on the “Pro 1 Halo RRI Jayapura” program on Monday (July 21, 2025).
During the program, Yohanes outlined several public complaints received by the Papua Ombudsman, ranging from the rejection of coins by business operators to issues surrounding the purchase of printed textbooks in schools. He emphasized the need for increased public education, especially concerning essential public services such as health and education.
“BPJS offers great benefits to the community. However, in practice, many people still don’t understand the procedures for accessing these services. This often leads to misunderstandings with hospitals or other healthcare providers,” said Yohanes.
He urged BPJS to be more proactive in conducting outreach, particularly in remote areas of Papua, to minimize potential conflicts when accessing healthcare services.
Yohanes also addressed the issue of coins being refused as a means of payment. He noted that some business operators in Papua are unwilling to accept coins, despite them still being legally recognized. “We will coordinate with Bank Indonesia to conduct awareness campaigns about the use of coins,” he explained.
Regarding the education sector, the Head of the Jayapura City Education Office, Rocky Bebena, who also joined the broadcast, responded to complaints about the high cost of purchasing printed textbooks. He encouraged schools and parents to be more creative in providing alternative learning resources.
“E-books, shared classroom books, or book lending systems among students can be solutions. This way, parents don’t have to buy new textbooks every year,” said Rocky.
In closing, Yohanes urged the public not to hesitate in reporting any suspected maladministration by public service providers to the Papua Ombudsman. “If complaints go unanswered by the relevant agencies, the public can report directly to our office,” he asserted.
