Indonesian Ombudsman Suggests Direct Health Screening for Election Officers

Author: Dian Kencana
February 20, 2024

Jemsly Hutabarat on Monday (2/19) suggested that the health screening process for election officials should be done directly, not through a health certificate. Photo: ANTARA

SEAToday.com, Jakarta-Indonesian Ombudsman member Jemsly Hutabarat on Monday (2/19) suggested that the health screening process for election officials should be done directly, not through a health certificate.

"Not just a health certificate with a doctor's signature or other ordinary information that’s not being checked," said Jemsly. Although expensive, he considered that the screening process would effectively prevent election officers with serious illnesses from being undetected.

"If you check directly, you can detect the potential, so it's like a company when opening employee recruitment," he said.

Jemsly also asked the next election organizer to provide health workers to examine prospective election officers. He also suggested another option, which is to provide social security in the form of facilities to check their health using the Healthcare and Social Security Agency’s (BPJS) Card.

The Health Ministry recorded 84 2024 election officers died as of 18 February 2024, equivalent to 16 percent of the number of election officers who died in 2019, which reached 554 people. (DANTI/DKD)