PRIME NEWS POST 

MANDAILING NATAL, NORTH SUMATRA – Prominent North Sumatra youth figure and activist Misron Saidi, widely known as Ade Batubara, has raised fresh concerns over the use of the 2025 Health Operational Assistance Fund (BOK) budget at the Mandailing Natal (Madina) Regency Health Office, totaling Rp5,181,564,784.

He noted several irregularities that require transparent investigation to uphold accountability in the use of public funds.

According to findings gathered, the budget covers two procurement packages: Rp3,661,864,784 for basic healthcare medicines and Rp1,519,700,000 for laboratory sanitation kits, both announced simultaneously on 20 March 2025.

Ade Batubara said the substantial allocation raises critical questions about priority setting, efficiency, and the reasonableness of unit prices.

“Every rupiah from the regional budget must deliver tangible benefits to the public. If there are signs of inefficiency or unreasonable pricing, all relevant parties have a duty to conduct open oversight and audits,” he stressed.

Rp3.66 Billion Medicine Procurement Lacks Transparency

Ade Batubara pointed out that the entire Rp3.66 billion medicine package is recorded as a single lot intended to serve all 26 community health centers (Puskesmas) across Mandailing Natal.

This format provides no breakdown of allocations per facility, creating risks of uneven distribution. If divided equally, each Puskesmas would receive only around Rp140.8 million for nine months, or roughly Rp15.6 million per month.

He also questioned the absence of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) standards in the large-scale regional budget-funded medicine procurement.

“Even more concerning,” Ade Batubara said, “operational spending remains high in the 2026 BOK implementation, yet reports indicate shortages of essential medicines at one Puskesmas.”

“This situation demands public clarification so people know whether such a large budget is actually improving healthcare services,” he added.

Rp58.45 Million Per Unit Sanitation Kits Require Audit

Attention also falls on the procurement of 26 sanitation kits with a total budget of Rp1,519,700,000 — approximately Rp58.45 million per unit.

Ade Batubara said this price needs verification, noting market rates for comparable equipment typically range from Rp15 million to Rp25 million per unit depending on specifications. “If such significant price gaps exist, an independent audit is essential to rule out waste of regional funds.”

Beyond pricing, he highlighted concerns over the lack of visible plans for managing hazardous chemical waste generated by laboratory reagents, as well as potential overlap between this procurement and existing health operational budgets.

Follow-Up and Oversight Calls

Ade Batubara stated his group will soon submit an official letter to Mandailing Natal Regency Council (DPRD), specifically Commission IV, requesting an in-depth review of 2025 BOK budget realization. Field surveys are also planned to assess actual healthcare service conditions at selected Puskesmas.

“We urge the DPRD to exercise its oversight function fully. Our goal is not to assign blame, but to ensure health funds are used optimally for the public good,” he said.

He further called on government internal auditors, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), law enforcement authorities, and all sectors of society to jointly oversee health spending to ensure it remains transparent, effective, and accountable.

Reported from various media sources //photo from Google documents // contribution by Prime News Post international online media // news.paper
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