Currently, the district ranked second-lowest among 27 districts and cities in the province with a score in 2018 of 65 on the Human Development Index. MADANI Lead Partner CSO Pergerakan Relawan Kemanusiaan Indonesia (PRKI) and Learning Forum AKSARA have collaborated with Tasikmalaya District Government to improve the standard service delivery of Puskesmas at selected pilot sites. Most importantly, improving the quality of mother-child health (MCH) care by increasing communities’ active participation and oversight.
Public health service delivery through the Puskesmas network is still the main source of primary health care for many Indonesians at the sub-district level. However, Tasikmalaya has only 39 Puskesmas to serve its 1,7 million citizens – the equivalent of one health center for 44,066 people. In addition, health centers that provide 24-hour maternity service are limited to only eight sub-districts.
A broad and diverse coalition of local actors participates in the pilot activities, including local governments entities, religious and community leaders, Learning Forum AKSARA, PRKI, other CSOs, health centers, and clients of MCH services. In late September, Tasikmalaya Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) has issued a decree that establishes the multi-stakeholder technical team, its roles, responsibilities, and has selected two Puskesmas Health Centers as pilot sites.
This collaboration is an important milestone for Tasikmalaya as it is the first time that the local government has ever worked with a CSO. The inclusion of civil society to actively oversee Tasikmalaya’s performance over its public service delivery shows improved local government leadership in understanding their role in advancing democratic outcomes at the local level.