BANYUWANGI – The services of the Integrated Service Post (Posyandu) have been limited to mothers, children, and the elderly.
Now, Banyuwangi completes its Posyandu with services for teenagers, so that it can serve all ages.
Officially launched by the Regent Ipuk Fiestiandani at the Sabha Swagata Hall on Tuesday (29/8), the program is known as “Integrated Posyandu”.
“Actually, it has been carried out by a number of Posyandu here. However, with this inauguration, all Posyandu must perform this service. Once a Posyandu opens in one location, it should serve all ages, so it is more integrated,” Ipuk said.
“This is part of efforts to succeed in the national health program to improve public health,” she added.
Integrated Posyandu is a health service program throughout the life cycle. This Posyandu consists of four categories, namely pregnant and lactating women, infants and toddlers, school age and teenager, as well as productive age and old age.
“So now Posyandu also serves the health of teenagers and productive age. Because it is also important to take care of their health,” Ipuk said.
Why teenagers? Because, Ipuk continued, teenagers tend to have poor eating habits which can lead to malnutrition and can affect concentration in studying and eventually lead to stunting.
“While for productive age, the services provided at Posyandu are in the form of examination of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and blood sugar. Because these two diseases are the beginning of the emergence of other diseases that are more severe. This is what we want to prevent by examining and educating both teenagers and productive age who come to Posyandu,” explained Ipuk.
Acting Head of the Health Service Amir Hidayat explained that the Integrated Posyandu would be carried out by 2,310 Posyandu throughout Banyuwangi.
This program involves 13 thousand cadres who have been taught 25 basic competencies based on four life cycle categories.
For example, for service competence regarding pregnant and lactating women, cadres are taught to monitor nutritional status, blood pressure, and others.
Competences related to babies and toddlers include education on exclusive breastfeeding, MP ASI, weighing, and measuring height.
“Next, competencies related to school age and teenagers include education on Isi Piringku, namely the composition of staple foods that must be consumed every day so that daily nutrition is fulfilled,” Amir said.
“There’s also education on prevention of anemia for young women, as well as education on the dangers of smoking and illegal drugs,” he added.
While competencies related to productive age and the elderly, namely conducting hypertension and diabetes screening, TB screening and medication adherence, family planning education, to elderly screening.
“With these competencies, the cadres are expected to be able to provide optimal service to all life cycles that come to Posyandu. With this, it is hoped that residents’ visits to posyandu will increase. So that it will have an impact on improving the health standard of residents,” Amir explained.
