Jakarta. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin visited the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters in Jakarta on Thursday, requesting oversight of the government’s major healthcare projects, which are valued at trillions of rupiah.

Budi said his ministry has received a significant budget increase to fund large-scale initiatives, including free medical checkups for all citizens, a nationwide tuberculosis prevention campaign, and the construction of new hospitals. These projects will receive Rp 10 trillion ($612 million) in state funding.

In addition, the Health Ministry has secured a Rp 60 trillion ($3.7 billion) loan from the World Bank to strengthen the country’s health infrastructure.

The World Bank loan will be used to upgrade 10,000 district-level clinics, known as Puskesmas, modernize 514 medical laboratories across all regencies and cities, and procure medical equipment for 514 municipally-owned hospitals. 

“These are massive projects that require strict oversight. That’s why we approached the KPK to establish an early warning system against potential fraud,” Budi explained.
 
KPK Secretary-General Cahya Harefa confirmed that the commission will provide full support to the Health Ministry in monitoring the projects and ensuring that state funds are protected from corruption.