DECENTRALIZATION OF THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR: PARTICIPATION OF THE POSYANDU CADRES IN SUMATRA UTARA, INDONESIA

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to explain the roles of Posyandu cadres as part of public participation in healthcare services delivery in the era of decentralization. The Posyandu cadres come from the grassroots level of the society and take part in local government programs by giving assistance to the healthcare officials in the field. The involvement of the cadres in this case is intended to support the success of the implementation of the healthcare services provided by the local government and therefore, enforcing the equality of citizen’s political rights which is one of the objectives of the decentralization process (Smith, 1985). The participation of the cadres in the province of Sumatra Utara has emerged yet they still face some constraints both in legal terms and also in practice in the field.