ABSTRACT
The present article traces the history of "dana sehat", a scheme of social funding devised in Indonesia three decades ago which has proved to be of particular significance as a means of inducing communities to accept responsibility for decision-making on the development of health care.
PIP: Responding to the inadequacies of official health services in Indonesia during the 1960s, Dr. Gunawan Nugroho proposed that the sick in a poor community near the Panti Waluyo Hospital in Solo be supported by the healthy. Poor public support for the "dana sakit" scheme, however, led to its failure. Dana sakit was reintroduced in 1969 within the framework of a community development program under the name "dana sehat" (health funds) in which members of the scheme paid a monthly fee of 0.5% of average family income, equivalent to US$0.06, which was deposited in a credit cooperative of revolving capital. Members of the cooperative borrowed money at low interest, further increasing the fund. Discussions between health workers and the community indicated that, using available facilities and resources, the short-term objectives of the scheme should be to provide simple, practical, and inexpensive health care appropriate to the local situation, and to maintain adequate health standards. Over the longer term, the population's health status should be raised. The dana sehat approach has helped communities to accept responsibility for decision-making with regard to the development of health care.
