A total of 1,300 garbage truck drivers took part in a Free Medical Checkup (CKG) organized by the East Jakarta Health Sub-agency at the Bantar Gebang Integrated Waste Management Site (TPST) in Bekasi, West Java.

The activity is being carried out in stages and is expected to be completed within the next 10 to 13 days. The checkup includes physical measurements, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, as well as basic dental, eye, and ear examinations, along with tuberculosis (TB) screening through sputum sampling.

East Jakarta Health Sub-agency Head, Herwin Meifendy, said the checkups are being conducted in shifts with a daily target of around 100 drivers.

"We've deployed two teams consisting of 10 health workers to provide these services," he mentioned, Monday (12/22).

Herwin explained that the initiative follows the directive of Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung, who called for comprehensive medical checkups for all garbage truck drivers.

According to him, the purpose of the checkups is to preserve drivers' stamina and identify health issues early, particularly comorbid conditions, to avoid overexertion.

He added that participants also receive vitamins, medication based on their complaints, snacks, and drinks.

"If the screening results indicate the need for further treatment, we're ready to refer them to a hospital. But so far, we haven't found any drivers with serious health issues," he shared.

One of the drivers, Walimukti (36) from Menteng, Central Jakarta, welcomed the screening, saying it was his first time having a health check at TPST Bantar Gebang.

"Thank God, the results are good. No illness was found. They took blood and sputum samples for testing," he said.

He hopes that regular health checkups will continue to help monitor drivers' health conditions.

"If we're not sick, we usually don't get checkups. Programs like this encourage us to be more mindful of our health," he noted.